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Patience

How To Stand Out Without Standing Out

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When working in the ministry of God, it’s a wonderful thing; there is nothing that could replace the joy that you get from putting in all of the effort that you do. There will be times where it is harder than others, but those are the times that you must prove to stand out and be that separated people.

As you try to be more bold and obedient in service to the Lord, always keep in mind to start everything that you do with a humble spirit. We keep a humble spirit and an attitude of love with continual fervent prayer to God. This lowers us to a place where we get out of our own problems and issues and begin to see the bigger picture. Maintaining a spirit of meekness over time (that’s the key) will begin to bring that patience that you have been longing for.

You see, you can stand out by simply allowing God to be glorified in every aspect of your life. As an example, you can begin to say something in faith rather than in defeat. As you say things in faith, you stand out by not doing what everyone else might be doing (being down, complaining). These pattern changes in your lifestyle will mold you into a new character!

Trust me, the more you do it the more you will grow. The only thing you have to begin to do is find places where God doesn’t stand out and allow it to happen! You won’t have to scream and yell and advertise with a poster on your back that you are a child of God; for people will simply know by your meek and humble spirit that there is something different about you…something that stands out from the rest!

Instant Gratification Or A Test Of Patience?

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There have been times in my life where I have prayed for some things and saw what I would like to call instant gratification. In other words, I prayed in a day and God moved likewise. During those times looking back I was always thankful for how quick the move was but never questioned in my mind why God would move so quickly.There have been other times, which seems like now lately more than ever, where I am in desire and in need of things from God for me in my life. I find it more difficult to hang in there with my faith, and especially difficult when in my mind I am thinking “I need this right now”.

The only thing that I have learned in the midst of everything is a few key parts of wisdom that has helped me to keep going. I will share one now I believe with all of my heart and have not shared yet to my knowledge. I feel like that God provides a way for things that will build our faith for the parts of our life that can really glorify Him. You see I did not understand why I received some things so easily and quickly and yet I see so many that have sought for so long. I feel that God had provided with me with something at the time to help me to have strength and patience with the next trial. I definitely did not see back then where I would be today and would not have got where I was without it.

I think at times if I did not have the small blessings of God that I would not be able to handle the bigger pressures of life, especially the things I feel I cannot conquer or change. Now that I have been in some trials that have exceeded the months at a time timeline, it is really testing what I stand for. But by what God has already done (the blood of the Lamb and the words of my experiences) I am able to continue the race. Keep your head up, and wipe those tears. Joy will come, it might not be now, but I pray that God will pour out an incomprehensible blessing for you and your life!

What’s The First Thing You Do?

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THE WORD

Luke 6:31 – And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Think about when you first wake up. You roll out of bed, hurry to get into the shower and start getting ready. You put your phone and wallet in your pockets/purses, grabbing your keys and hurry out the door …..wait! Plenty of times I am sure we have went throughout our entire day and wondered why things seemed to be harder than they had to be. Many times I often wondered why I have felt like I was not prepared like I could have been. By the time we realize what we should have done differently in a situation it is usually too late to change what has been done. All the suffering to our minds and others hearts could have been averted had we prepared with the game changer that God has given us to use for every trial: prayer! Prayer can help us be prepared for things that we can and cannot see. Through praying we also are able to keep a clear focus of our love and patience towards others. I say this giving caution: always take time for prayer. While worship brings you inside the gates of God’s presence know that prayer is the way into the inner courts of the anointing. Believe me, I speak from experience when I say this, it is definitely worth it! I could not tell you how much more fruitful life is including God in my life in the morning and not waiting until later. I need Him then too!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Remember in the moment (rather than later) to include God in your prayers preparing you for the day ahead. A prayer of preparation is easier to pray than to have to ask God to forgive us for anything we could have avoided if we were properly being prepared! Remember to pray each day! And if you barely get out the door in time, make more time (get to bed earlier)! Let us honor God by giving him some of our valuable time! As you make your daily prayer life habit this same habit begins to produces replicated behavior. And as your behavior changes from your prayer life it becomes a part of your character. The person that you are is defined by what is within you. Let prayer be a part of you and allow it to be first in every situation and present difficulty that may come upon you. It is no wonder that Jesus handled walking through the trials of life as a human so well. He prayed!

Looking At The Watch? Time For A Test Of Patience!

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We can often compare our prayers to God sometimes like a person waiting on another standing there looking at their watch. They are impatiently waiting upon that person to do their part so they can do nothing and be satisfied. Does that speak to you?

Sometimes I could categorize prayers in the past times in my life to be complaint prayers, piety prayers, confusion prayers; the list goes on and on. I know more than anyone about having to stand and wait upon the Lord. In times when your back is against the wall, it’s hard to pray from the depths of your heart and truly mean “Lord I’m waiting and trusting in You that You are going to perform Your perfect will in this situation”.

When we begin to get in these situations, I have found that I can refresh my patience with my testimonies. Sure, I am waiting on God for 500 things. However, God has blessed me millions of times. Millions! More than I could ever say in a lifetime. If I wrote a post every minute for the rest of my life of the good things, I could not accomplish getting out every good thing God has done. I have to remind myself that “If God has helped me before, He’ll do it again”.

If God has performed His will before in your life, God will do it again. Continually seek God for peace and do not let impatience rule steal your joy. Do not let your situations steal away your prayer life. Let your prayers be led by faith, and let your walk with God and your witness to others be driven by the glory that will be revealed in you.

A final word of encouragement this day (you could even say it out loud): I have been blessed by God before, I am blessed by God now, and I will continue to be blessed by God in my future!

When Patience Wears Thin, Remember Who Wins

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THE WORD

2 Peter 1:5-8 – And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

I am writing about something today that was one of my biggest hurdles I had to overcome: getting and keeping patience. I am tested with my patience on a daily basis and demonstrating God’s love is one of the greatest ways I let my witness shine to others. I have found that the only time my patience is ever tested is in areas where it begins to induce stress (where else would it be?!?). As we go on through our own lives there will always be new people and situations that we must face that we are not always prepared for. I could not tell you how many times I have wanted to speak my mind or to do what I thought was justified but the Holy Ghost would quicken me to stop; for when I look back on it now I know the person that works patience walks in the spirit of God’s love.

I have had to literally walk away frustrated and take a deep breath and pray before I could move on. There were moments where I had to let a few tears run down my face from the words and looks of people without saying a word in return. There have been times when I wonder if people truly loved me like they said they did! When it gets the worst, however, I remember who the victor is over it all! That is God almighty through us! So if we allow God to fight our spiritual battles, we will succeed in our carnality. We alone would never prevail. Allowing God to lead us proves the outcome that God intends! Seek him for a patience-filled heart and a peaceful mind! Hold on to the promises of God!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

When a disagreement occurs between you and another person: smile, tell them you love them, and walk away. God through your prayers can definitely take care of the rest!

While We Wait

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Today I would like to talk about a tough topic when it comes to a persons walk with God: waiting. There are moments in my life where I cannot move any further in a matter. Even if I could intervene, it would be the wrong course of action.

Let us read a passage:

Romans 5:1-5

[1]Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
[2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
[3] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
[4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
[5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

There are three key points that I would like to make here.

First of all, I cannot be justified by faith unless I actually use it. Why would it be spoken in the word of God that you have access to something if you did not need to know that you had to go and access it?

Secondly, Faith without works in my life is dead; I can’t sit back and just wait for it all to happen for me. I have to be faithful through my experiences and believe that God is going to help me with the long-term things as I obey him through the short term! I stand in my faith not literally, but through endurance of grace I make it through! I also rejoice! I can come to God’s house and praise the Lord! I can come and not be fearful of what anyone would direct otherwise! God would never have you be in a place where you could not step out through obedience to grow!

Finally, remember that which is in you and around you! The love of God (as given by the Holy Ghost) is always in you, always ready for you to be able to step out and make a difference each day. You might be in a place where that is frowned upon, but just hang in there! God will make a way for your ministry to grow! Remember who it is that you worship, and who it is that you serve! If it is anything other than God, than you cannot survive long-term! Tribulation was never meant to be endured without God!

Pick And Choose Your Battles

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THE WORD

2 Chronicles 20:15  – And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Exodus 14:14 – The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

When we deal with everyday problems and the trials of life it can be hard to be calm in the midst of the storm. As our emotions begin to influence our judgment we may begin to spiritually decline. And as we decrease spiritually the lack of love is reflected in our irrational actions with little regard to try and improve the situation.

So the question is: What will you reap from that which you sow? If you sow something in anger or revenge then chances are that you will reap the by-product of these poor decisions. If you sow things with love (especially when the situation is provoking you emotionally) you will find that your feelings will be lessened in their ability to lead to bad decisions. God wants us to have peace and patience in everything that we do. Always remember to pick and choose your battles each day, and try to find the true worth of what you are fighting for. Sometimes it is best to walk away and let God give you peace first. The spirit of God will guide and fight for you in your every endeavor! Remember that!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

If you observe someone letting their emotions get the best of them you may just learn something. It may be by the change of tone of their voice or body language but it is easy to pick out when someone may not be thinking clearly. Put yourself into check the moment this attempts to happen to you. What was done that provoked you? What was said that bothered you? What happened that caused you harm? As you find the answer, pray and examine the right choice that you can make instead of the one you immediately feel.

Resolutions, Resolutions, Resolutions

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I want to start out today by reading some difficult but inspiring verses to everyone.

James 1:2-4

[2] My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

[3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
[4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

We have to begin to transform our lives in this year with what will seem like 2 brand new steps. I’m also going to tell you that this might not be your favorite thing that you ever hear me tell you, but nonetheless we’ll speak what God would lead us to.

The first thing that we HAVE to do is to stop complaining every second that we have breath to the Lord as well as everyone else. We have to begin to realize that there will always be someone else out there that has it worse, and that our situation is not the worst in the world. I’m not being horrible and saying that you don’t have dark days, but the scriptures lead us to handle things differently. They lead us to count it all joy. I know that it seems impossible to do, but you know how we count something joy even when it hurts? As we begin to count our blessings and begin to use the other tools that God gave us to bring us to a good place, we will find stability as we journey on towards the end of a trial!

The second thing that we have to do is let faith work. How do we do that? Well, first of all by not running away when things get too hard. We cannot back down or give up in the middle of something. That is how God builds up something good in us. It’s one of the ways he can get glory and you can overcome the enemy! If you stay grounded in God, desiring nothing but his will, and let that patience through your faith have its work, you will have an experience to speak of from the ends of your trials that you will have learned from! And always remember, when it comes to the trials of God, you are never tested in something for you not to learn anything from it.

Let’s read on some more now:

James 1:12

[12] Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Blessed is he who endures!  There is a reward for us who hang on! I have always said since I began the ministry that there is a special quality about endurance. You have to have it regardless of the condition of your body. Endurance is in the mind. For that is why we inherit the crown of life for our head and not our body.

Let’s read on:

James 1:22-25

[22] But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
[23] For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
[24] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
[25] But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

I don’t know about you, but this sounds like all the promises and resolutions we always break! What I do know is that my false promises are a direct rebellion against his atonement! That’s a serious thing!!!

When I begin to say things like:

“I will walk right if you help me”

or

“I will purify me if you answer my prayer.”

We have to realize that we are human and that we are always going to come short, but if I surrender myself, all my rights and demands, and justifications and finally leave myself in his hands, and then through my humble prayers he can do a work in me!

The last part I want to read to you today is what I like to call the dedicated verses of my life. If you don’t have any, put these in your heart as well!

Philippians 3:13-16

[13] Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
[14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
[15] Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
[16] Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

I can’t do anything for what is behind me in the yesterday.  But God is the God of the yesterdays and allows the things of the past to help us spiritually grow today.

I know more than anyone that I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but the Lord will go before us!  He is in what we are not aware of!

And I certainly know that with all that is in me that as far today, I’m going to press, strive, and break through for that peace and joy that I know will keep me.

God Bless You!

Patience, Patience, Patience

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One of the toughest pieces that we have to learn about our character and our witness to this world as a Christian is our patience. It is the most single tested value within your core, and without it, we won’t last long before we want to give up and throw in the towel on everything we stand for.

A thought that came in my mind when I was praying to God about working a greater patience in me was that proven faith shows demonstrated patience, which brings wisdom from the experience, and hope from knowing you made it through all of it.

To try and bring this point of view out little by little, I have various scriptures that I want to tie all together. I hope these bring out a point of view that helps you like it did me. Please, by all means, comment and give input! It is all welcome!

For starters, patience is defined as the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.

With that said, wow. I have found myself more often then not being weak when I should be strong in many situations in my life.

  • The God of Patience

Romans 15:5

“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus”

So in other words, show it towards one another! That did not have any clauses to leave it out from anyone! It is neither selective to who we prefer, nor who we do not. We must open our hearts and have a greater understanding to everyone and everything. That shows a stronger witness inside and out. Publicly and privately.

  • Christ’s Demonstrated Patience And Mercy

Isaiah 53:7

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Matthew 27:14

“And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governer marvelled greatly.”

Hold the phone for a sec. Let’s take away the wonderful from this for a second and be real. Just the fact that Jesus Christ faced all of the persecution that he did and saying nothing is enough to show the demonstrated patience. We can’t even hear a mean word from someone without rising up inside and wanting to speak our peace, or feel like that we need to feel like justification has been delivered to them. Now, let’s put back in the best part. He opened not his mouth and endured the suffering so that we could have a place in Heaven eternal. That makes my heart soar!

  • More Mentions

2 Peter 1:6

“And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;”

James 1:3-4

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”

Romans 5:3-4

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience, and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Isn’t that just amazing, when we begin to dig in and read all of the pieces for yourself and put them all together? I love the word of God! I just hope as we all continue to be molded each and every day, that we can learn from our tried patience and experiences to raise ourselves up with encouragement from hope, and not be ashamed of what God has brought us from!

Await With Eagerness

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Isaiah 40:29-31

[29] He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
[30] Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
[31] But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Lately we have been trying to tackle topics of worrying, rejection, patience, and forgiveness. And in thought of all of those things that we have discuss, there is one thing that stands out that shares something with each and every one of those things: Waiting. It’s one of the things that we either love or hate to do, and sometimes is inevitable. Whether you are excited about getting your birthday present, or if you are waiting to hear if someone made it out of surgery fine, waiting is a constant in both aspects of life. It’s that span of time where you lose being in complete control while you are expecting an outcome. There are so many emotions that run around in your mind while you are in this period of time. And generally, by our own nature, we will try to bet on the outcome based on what we can see and what we know. And for those that live their lives without trusting the Lord, this can be a serious burden to bear.

So how can God help me out with waiting? What can God do to allow this burden in my life to be easier? Well, if we tried to take our own approach without God involved, the popular opinion would tell you to take the route of “buy it now” and settle for what is in front of you. You might be waiting on a direction for your life, a person to call your significant other, seeing someone saved, or many other possible situations. It always seems easier to follow where your own self would think you need to go, but with a little suffering through waiting, God will come to your rescue! Don’t just take the first thing that comes just because you are tired of waiting. Let God be your guide!

Let’s bring some scripture into this. As above in Isaiah, it says that those who wait will have their strength renewed. You won’t grow tired and slow down and be discouraged. Think about the walls of Jehrico, Paul and Silas in jail, Joseph lying in prison for years, all of which in their actions had go on about their lives and wait; but each of these with the outcome that God had planned for them! Our God is not weak. It might be tough, but we need to wait upon the lord even in the serious matters of your life. Replace your fears with excitement of what God will do, and your frustration with faith that God will do that great thing. Make it a goal to await with eagerness and let God prove himself to you.