Real patience is just plain strong faith
By faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. (Galatians 5:5)
In today's spiritual reading in Streams In The Desert, it talks about faith again. The very first paragraph struck me. It is so close to what I'm experiencing. More importantly, I feel that those around me are also experiencing some kind of trouble:
"There are times when everything looks very dark to me-so dark that I have to wait before I have hope. Waiting WITH hope is very difficult, but true patience is expressed when we must even wait FOR hope. When we see no hint of success yet refuse to despair, when we see nothing but the darkness of night through our windows yet keep the shutters open becuase stars may appear in the sky, and when we have an empty place in our hearts yet will not allow it to be filled with anything less than God's best-that is the greatest kind of patience in the universe."
Now, I know the real meaning of patience. When God mentioned patience as one out of the nine spiritual fruits, I have always thought it just meant that we must have patience in just our everyday lives. For example, waiting for the lift, a cab, or even a friend. But now, I know that it even extends to just waiting in the darkness for God's hand, God's will and God to show you the right path. Just like Job, who had so much sufferings, but still hung on so tightly to the promise of God. Compared to Job, is our small suffering even comparable? So why are we even despairing?
Every sunday, I attend a small lesson followed by a group discussion after church that is based largely on the book "The Purpose Driven Life". And last sunday, one member from my group suddenly asked this question about why God allowed a little girl to fall from her flat even though both her parents were christians. He also asked if this would lead to a wrong impression on non-christians that God did not help the little girl. This lead to others also giving another example of a missionary passing away while on a mission trip. This question on sufferings is always very controversial. Why would God allow his children to have such sufferings? In my opinion, God does all these all to bring us closer and closer to him. Or he may just be testing our faith, like in Job's case. Or sometimes, maybe God just wants to remind us that He is there for us because we have forgotton Him for worldly pursuits.
Why do we feel that we are suffering? In actual fact, it is because we are carrying the troubles and burdens ourselves, that is why we are suffering. But, WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT! What we are supposed to do is to pass on these troubles to our Father, our God Almighty! Once we are willing to do that, they are not sufferings anymore. But it is because we carry these burdens ourselves and are not willing to let go and let God take charge of us that we are feeling so miserable. Maybe all of us should try to strengthen our faith in God, and let him really take charge of all out troubles and burdens, and be a living sacrifice unto Him. But like what was said in the book, The Purpose Driven Life: "The problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar."
The Purpose Driven Life (9th day) states that there are 3 barriers to total surrender. We have a desire to have complete control, and it is the cause of so much stress in our lives. A. W. Tozer said, "The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making forward progress is because they have yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us." I believe that once we agree to give our lives to God and let him control us, pass all out troubles to Him, we won't feel suffering anymore, and will bask in the joy of the Lord everyday. Afterall, it was Him who had promised us: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13. Let's all have patience and faith and pass the "wheel" of our life to God in complete submission. Let Him take over our lives, let him share our joy, and our pain.
God, help us to see the importance of total submission and your total control over our lives. Other might see it as a suffering, but help us to see that once we surrender it to you, we will bask in your love and joy. Help us also, to see that the troubles and burdens we have are just so that we can be closer to you, and to glorify your name, so that we may dwell in the house of the Lord eternally. Amen.
In today's spiritual reading in Streams In The Desert, it talks about faith again. The very first paragraph struck me. It is so close to what I'm experiencing. More importantly, I feel that those around me are also experiencing some kind of trouble:
"There are times when everything looks very dark to me-so dark that I have to wait before I have hope. Waiting WITH hope is very difficult, but true patience is expressed when we must even wait FOR hope. When we see no hint of success yet refuse to despair, when we see nothing but the darkness of night through our windows yet keep the shutters open becuase stars may appear in the sky, and when we have an empty place in our hearts yet will not allow it to be filled with anything less than God's best-that is the greatest kind of patience in the universe."
Now, I know the real meaning of patience. When God mentioned patience as one out of the nine spiritual fruits, I have always thought it just meant that we must have patience in just our everyday lives. For example, waiting for the lift, a cab, or even a friend. But now, I know that it even extends to just waiting in the darkness for God's hand, God's will and God to show you the right path. Just like Job, who had so much sufferings, but still hung on so tightly to the promise of God. Compared to Job, is our small suffering even comparable? So why are we even despairing?
Every sunday, I attend a small lesson followed by a group discussion after church that is based largely on the book "The Purpose Driven Life". And last sunday, one member from my group suddenly asked this question about why God allowed a little girl to fall from her flat even though both her parents were christians. He also asked if this would lead to a wrong impression on non-christians that God did not help the little girl. This lead to others also giving another example of a missionary passing away while on a mission trip. This question on sufferings is always very controversial. Why would God allow his children to have such sufferings? In my opinion, God does all these all to bring us closer and closer to him. Or he may just be testing our faith, like in Job's case. Or sometimes, maybe God just wants to remind us that He is there for us because we have forgotton Him for worldly pursuits.
Why do we feel that we are suffering? In actual fact, it is because we are carrying the troubles and burdens ourselves, that is why we are suffering. But, WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT! What we are supposed to do is to pass on these troubles to our Father, our God Almighty! Once we are willing to do that, they are not sufferings anymore. But it is because we carry these burdens ourselves and are not willing to let go and let God take charge of us that we are feeling so miserable. Maybe all of us should try to strengthen our faith in God, and let him really take charge of all out troubles and burdens, and be a living sacrifice unto Him. But like what was said in the book, The Purpose Driven Life: "The problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar."
The Purpose Driven Life (9th day) states that there are 3 barriers to total surrender. We have a desire to have complete control, and it is the cause of so much stress in our lives. A. W. Tozer said, "The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making forward progress is because they have yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us." I believe that once we agree to give our lives to God and let him control us, pass all out troubles to Him, we won't feel suffering anymore, and will bask in the joy of the Lord everyday. Afterall, it was Him who had promised us: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13. Let's all have patience and faith and pass the "wheel" of our life to God in complete submission. Let Him take over our lives, let him share our joy, and our pain.
God, help us to see the importance of total submission and your total control over our lives. Other might see it as a suffering, but help us to see that once we surrender it to you, we will bask in your love and joy. Help us also, to see that the troubles and burdens we have are just so that we can be closer to you, and to glorify your name, so that we may dwell in the house of the Lord eternally. Amen.
