2 verses that i read on Saturday that stuck with me all weekend.
Proverbs 29:11
"A fool always loses his temper,
But a wise man holds it back."
Proverbs 29:15
"The rod and reproof give wisdom,
But a child who gets his own way
brings shame to his mother."
both are kind of a slap in the face for me. i have been losing my temper with the boys from time to time. even once a day is too much (kind of ties back to my whole idea of "daily" this year. i must daily have fresh patience.). i must remember that when i lose it, i'm being a fool. point blank. no beating around the bush. that's just the fact. and since my boys copy everything, the last thing i want them trying to be is a temper losing fool. not the best english there, but hopfully you understand my point.
i want to be like the Provers 31 woman. (which is what i read today). she is constantly characterized by wisdom and grace. and i'm sure you will agree that wisdom & foolishness cannot co-exist.
the second one is convicting on 2 levels.
1) wisdom doesn't come through lectures or warnings or second chances. it comes through the rod and reproof. if i do use words, i pray God gives me His Word, because mine are not perfect or divine like His are. but i have to remember that if my boys are to grow in wisdom, it's going to come though consistant discipline.
2) it struck me how the verse speaks of the mother. the father is the spiritual leader in the home & he will be held accountable for that before the Lord. but it's to my shame if my kid get's his way all the time. i'm the one with him all day long, so God calls on me to be consistant in training and disipline (here's that theme of "daily" again). i know all too well that it's easier to just give in. and while i try to pick my battles (i don't want to be a dictator), if he doesn't listen in the little things, why on earth will he listen in the big things?
but it's not really about me getting my way either. it's about me giving him guidance and taking care of him while he lacks the discretion needed to make good choices. it's about treaching him to love and obey the Lord! and that starts with him learning to obey me. so how do i teach this little unbeliever to love the Lord? i must be willing to teach by example.
Matt 5:16
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
so it's not about me winning the battle of getting my kids to listen. it's about teaching them to glorify the Lord. it's about ME glorifying the Lord. even if they try my patience, & even if they whine and want their way. if i take care of what i'm called to do, then God will take care of them.
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, November 12, 2010
short on patience?
i'm not sure how to put all of my thoughts into order on this, but i will try. (to the single ladies, this post will talk a lot about parenting, but can be applied to all relationships.)
God has been convicting of how i react to my sons. i know that 3 year olds and 1 year olds can be a handful and are still learning what is good, though they seem to know all the bad already. as a parent, i have been commanded by God to train up my children (Proverbs_22:6) and there will great blessing and joy from teaching him God's ways (Proverbs_23:15-16).
God blessed me with this verse that is actually written to the young pastor Timothy in reguard to his church. However, i do think that it can also be applied to parenting.
2 Timothy 4:2
"preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."
(note: instruction should be godly, so, use the Word of God)
Great words to take to heart and apply within our homes. read it again and absorb the multitude of instruction in that verse. isn't it fantastic and yet terrifying at the same time? Yet, we have no need to get ourselves in a tizzy. Our great and awesome God supplies not only the command, but also the strength and Spirit to help us obey it.
But what about when i fail to obey? especially in the patience part? Because you fail that one and pretty quickly all the others will go flying out the window. i mean, i've never heard a parent screaming scripture at their children. yeah, just doesn't fit together.
So when i have no patience, what do i have?
well first of all, i am practicing this...
Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which i forewarn you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
firstly, a clarification for all who might be confused. these verses are not saying that people who do bad go to hell and people who do good go to heaven. we know that our God does not save on the basis of works (Eph_2:8-9) because everyone deserves an eternal stay in hell (Romans_6:23) were it not for the death of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, God's Son, who paid our penalty on the cross and demonstrated his victory over sin by rising from the dead. As a result, all are offered salvation by simply repenting from their sin and turning their life over to the true God of all (Romans_10:9-11).
that being said, Galatians 5 does contrast what the life of an unbeliever looks like and the life of a true believer (Gal_5:22-25). so if strife and outbursts of anger are characteristic of an unsaved person, why am i partaking in them? and why do i make excuses for doing them? don't sit there like you don't. we all make excuses for losing patience.
-i'm tired. they kept me up late/woke me up early today!
-i don't feel well. this headache is killing me!
-they have been so naughty today, this is just the straw that broke the camels back!
-the day has been crazy! i've had so much to do and nothing is going like i planned.
just like when we were first saved, we have to admit our sin and take it to God.
so just like i asked before, when i don't have patience, what do i have?
i have anger
Proverbs 19:19, 16:32, 17:27, 19:11
i have selfishness/pride
Proverbs 18:1, 16:18, 18:12, Phil 2:3,
all wrapped up in those i found that i personally also have self pity due to my bad day, lack of joy in my heart and in my house, envy of single individuals or newly weds, discontentment with my stage of life, the list goes on and on as sinful actions snow ball.
let me leave you with a quote & a verse...
"Righteous indignation leads to right actions. Unrighteous indignation leads to unright actions." - Andy Thompson
When blatant sin makes you upset, it will lead you to remove that sin from your life, motivate you to share the gospel with the one sinning, or drive you away from a possibly compromising situation. that is right action from righteous anger.
When your anger is not godly (note: i didn't use the word justified because we misuse that word) it will lead to actions that are not godly (refer back to Galatians 5 if need be).
1 John 3:18
"Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."
as always, answer honestly...
have you really repented from your sin and turned your life over to Christ, making you a child of God?
if you answered yes, are you acting like it??
how can you remind yourself to be more patient with others?
how can you cool down a situation that you are quickly loosing patience with?
God has been convicting of how i react to my sons. i know that 3 year olds and 1 year olds can be a handful and are still learning what is good, though they seem to know all the bad already. as a parent, i have been commanded by God to train up my children (Proverbs_22:6) and there will great blessing and joy from teaching him God's ways (Proverbs_23:15-16).
God blessed me with this verse that is actually written to the young pastor Timothy in reguard to his church. However, i do think that it can also be applied to parenting.
2 Timothy 4:2
"preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."
(note: instruction should be godly, so, use the Word of God)
Great words to take to heart and apply within our homes. read it again and absorb the multitude of instruction in that verse. isn't it fantastic and yet terrifying at the same time? Yet, we have no need to get ourselves in a tizzy. Our great and awesome God supplies not only the command, but also the strength and Spirit to help us obey it.
But what about when i fail to obey? especially in the patience part? Because you fail that one and pretty quickly all the others will go flying out the window. i mean, i've never heard a parent screaming scripture at their children. yeah, just doesn't fit together.
So when i have no patience, what do i have?
well first of all, i am practicing this...
Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which i forewarn you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
firstly, a clarification for all who might be confused. these verses are not saying that people who do bad go to hell and people who do good go to heaven. we know that our God does not save on the basis of works (Eph_2:8-9) because everyone deserves an eternal stay in hell (Romans_6:23) were it not for the death of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, God's Son, who paid our penalty on the cross and demonstrated his victory over sin by rising from the dead. As a result, all are offered salvation by simply repenting from their sin and turning their life over to the true God of all (Romans_10:9-11).
that being said, Galatians 5 does contrast what the life of an unbeliever looks like and the life of a true believer (Gal_5:22-25). so if strife and outbursts of anger are characteristic of an unsaved person, why am i partaking in them? and why do i make excuses for doing them? don't sit there like you don't. we all make excuses for losing patience.
-i'm tired. they kept me up late/woke me up early today!
-i don't feel well. this headache is killing me!
-they have been so naughty today, this is just the straw that broke the camels back!
-the day has been crazy! i've had so much to do and nothing is going like i planned.
just like when we were first saved, we have to admit our sin and take it to God.
so just like i asked before, when i don't have patience, what do i have?
i have anger
Proverbs 19:19, 16:32, 17:27, 19:11
i have selfishness/pride
Proverbs 18:1, 16:18, 18:12, Phil 2:3,
all wrapped up in those i found that i personally also have self pity due to my bad day, lack of joy in my heart and in my house, envy of single individuals or newly weds, discontentment with my stage of life, the list goes on and on as sinful actions snow ball.
let me leave you with a quote & a verse...
"Righteous indignation leads to right actions. Unrighteous indignation leads to unright actions." - Andy Thompson
When blatant sin makes you upset, it will lead you to remove that sin from your life, motivate you to share the gospel with the one sinning, or drive you away from a possibly compromising situation. that is right action from righteous anger.
When your anger is not godly (note: i didn't use the word justified because we misuse that word) it will lead to actions that are not godly (refer back to Galatians 5 if need be).
1 John 3:18
"Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."
as always, answer honestly...
have you really repented from your sin and turned your life over to Christ, making you a child of God?
if you answered yes, are you acting like it??
how can you remind yourself to be more patient with others?
how can you cool down a situation that you are quickly loosing patience with?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
a couple of tidbits
there are some things that i have been wanting to blog about, but blogging is a desire that i've decided isn't realistic for me to actively pursue right now. so, i will simplify some thoughts and smash them all on the same post for now. and if longer posts come later, so be it.
1) when someone you know is very ill (whether it be sniffles or cancer), take them something comforting (homemade cinnamon rolls, a box of tea, and vicks tissues are some of the best comforting things i know of) and a note with a verse the Lord brought to your attention lately, written by hand, not typed. you could never dream how much it means.
2) sometimes, a gift given without a holiday is more meaningful & appreciated than one given at a holiday. it shows that you were thinking about them because you love them, not because they were on your calender.
3) live in light of where you are going. yes, you have things you need to do here (laundry, dishes, cooking, etc) but do them in a way that is pleasing the Lord you serve and do them with an attitude & motives that stores up your riches in heaven.
4) allow the people you live with a double portion of your patience today. after all, you have an unlimited supply from the Spirit within you, and your Father has shown you more patience than you can dream of today.
1) when someone you know is very ill (whether it be sniffles or cancer), take them something comforting (homemade cinnamon rolls, a box of tea, and vicks tissues are some of the best comforting things i know of) and a note with a verse the Lord brought to your attention lately, written by hand, not typed. you could never dream how much it means.
2) sometimes, a gift given without a holiday is more meaningful & appreciated than one given at a holiday. it shows that you were thinking about them because you love them, not because they were on your calender.
3) live in light of where you are going. yes, you have things you need to do here (laundry, dishes, cooking, etc) but do them in a way that is pleasing the Lord you serve and do them with an attitude & motives that stores up your riches in heaven.
4) allow the people you live with a double portion of your patience today. after all, you have an unlimited supply from the Spirit within you, and your Father has shown you more patience than you can dream of today.
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