I have stared at this empty page for an hour and a half. My thoughts have been jumbled and words have eluded me. My mind is heavy with decisions to be made as parts of normal life begin to crank back into gear - perhaps too soon, perhaps too fast. I seriously considered writing nothing, just giving it a miss this week. I had nothing to say. Nothing printable. Then someone reminded me to look to Jesus.
When I look to Him now, one word comes to me over and over. Patience.
Patience is the first description of love in the famous 'Love is' passage from Corinthians. Patience is one of the fruits of a Spirit-filled life described in Ephesians. Patience for sinners led Jesus to the cross at the right time. Patience is an undeniable part of a Christ-centred life. Just ask the Israelites who wondered the wilderness because their impatience caused them to speak against God!
And so I am reminded that my decisions should not be dictated by an intolerance of time and inconvenience, by weighing up un-weighable risks and benefits or by my desire for a normal life. Instead my decisions should reflect my Christ-centred patience. We are taught by the apostle Paul to pray persistently - a call to be patient. In one of our recent talks, Francis Chan urged us not to live for the here and now (the red tip of the infinite rope), but to invest in our eternal future.
So I will say once again... look to Jesus. And don't let impatience keep you from Him.
Worship Playlist
Psalm 46 tells us that God is our refuge and strength and encourages us to see Him in all His glory. Click here to read the Psalm. The words "Be still and know that I am God," taken from Psalm 46, are the basis for Travis Greene's uplifting song of the same name. Click here to listen to the playlist.
Talk - Sharing Your Faith Part 1 (Praying)
We have a change of pace for the next three weeks - a series of talks from the rather lively J. John about sharing your faith. I will hand you over to Kevin to introduce... Click here to watch.
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