7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
- How does the coming of the Lord influence you daily life?
- Why is it often easier to be patient about the big things than it is about the small thing?
- What does grumbling about one another have to do with patience and endurance?
- Which would you rather do: patiently endure suffering or receive comfort?
- How frequently are you impatient with God?
- What is usually the circumstance when you are impatient with God?
- If Christ is full of compassion, why are you having to endure the hurts in your life?
- When will the hurts of your daily life be over?
My life is full of deadlines, projects, long-range goals, and tactical plans. While I am very aware of the power of a clear long-term vision, results are accomplished in the "now". I find I don't get impatient about the long-term stuff, but I am most certainly impatient about the "now" stuff. I change my impatience by focusing on the long-term plan.
I think my spiritual view is the same. I'm patient about the Lord's coming, but impatient that things are not going my way now. Somewhere I think we have grown to believe that the Declaration of Independence statement "pursuit of happiness" is a Biblical teaching. Even though I know I shouldn't, I want my happiness, and I want it now. I don't want to endure hurts and struggles. But I find that I need to focus on the long-term fact of Christ's coming in order to endure the "now". Jesus is coming, folks. Hang on to that hope.
2 comments:
somehow focusing on the now has made both the past hurts and anxiety over the future seem easier to deal with--i don't know--this sort of seems to be at odds with your own musing--where you say focusing on the long-range plan makes it earier to deal with the "now" stuff...and actually your blog is part of my daily routine as a way of focusing on the "now"...
thanks
Anonymous: Good points. One of my struggles is worrying about the future. Perhaps is because of all the deadlines I live with or maybe it is just my need to control. My point about the "now" deals with my impatience, both with the physical and the spiritual. People all around me seem to be suffering from impatience and from my looking inside it is about wanting things "now". Your insight about living for the day is very good. Somehow I need to live in the day but not worry about it either. Thanks for your comments.
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