Reflection of the Week
The Fruit of Patience in an Impatient World
*** Patience grows as we learn to content ourselves with last place ***
In addition to the cultural conditioning that short circuits our patience, what causes us to be impatient? One key lies in the Scripture passage ... "And he sat down, and called the twelve , and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
Mark 9:35.
We are impatient because we want to be first: first in line, first for the job, first to be waited on. Patience will only grow as we learn to content ourselves with last place.
That is terribly countercultural. We might end up last, but we don't usually feel happy about it. It takes a major shift in our thinking and attitudes to find acceptance in being the "servant of all." It requires us to keep in mind just who we are in relation to the Father who made us and who sustains us. And that can be difficult when you already feel too busy, overworked, underpaid and, basically, like a put-upon Cinderella starring in a not-so-fairy-tale life. When do you get to climb out of the ashes and put on the pretty dress?
Waiting is never easy. Waiting on others seems even worse.
That's where the Holy Spirit comes in. It takes a supernatural attitude adjustment to bear the fruit of patience in a world that rewards the opposite. We need to lean on the Spirit and ask for help and humble hearts. As we yield to His guidance in our lives, we will find space for patience in this crowded life.
*** PATIENCE IN ACTION ***
Patience is a word that seems more about stillness and waiting than taking action. But a state of patience can require great acts of trust, self-control, and humility. An ideal example from Scripture comes from the life of a simple woman named Hannah.
Note: This article taken from the book entitled: "Bloom Before You're Planted"
