Whatever we are waiting for, we need to wait patiently; for a child, a job, a house, marriage, a healing, for a loved one to be saved, to be avenged or for Jesus’ return. Patience seems to be inactive but it is not; it is waiting on God and keeping busy while we wait and we should be growing in God as He prepares us for the answer to prayer. Patience is a form of self-discipline and restraint. In our modern culture, self-discipline or self-control are considered ‘old fashioned’ but we need to understand, God disciplines and trains His people (Hebrews 12:1 to 12). As we read in these verses, we need to accept God’s discipline with patience, not despising it or being discouraged. We need to cultivate patience without being lazy in our service to the Lord and we need to recognise patience is essential. ‘We know that all things work together for the good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose’ (Romans 8:28). All of us need to meet the conditions before we can apply that verse to our lives. God does not say all things work together for everybody – only for those who love God and are called for His purpose. For that verse to apply to our lives, we have to meet three conditions laid out by the Lord; we have to love God; we have to be walking in our calling, and we must be fulfilling His purposes for our lives. If we have been called but are not fulfilling His purposes, He will treat us in such a way He will force us into His service to fulfil His purpose and His will, just like He did with Jonah (see the Book of Jonah). So all things only work together for good for those who meet His conditions. The ‘things’ may not even be for the good of those who have suffered it but may be for the good of the growing Kingdom of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment