He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be .....
Anyone remember that children's song from Sunday School? I woke up this morning with that song in my mind. It was a reminder to me of how much God loves me that he doesn't give up on me as easily as I give up on myself. It's confession time. Here goes. I am my own worse critic. Most of us naturally critical people are. We may find things wrong with others around us but we tend to criticize ourselves even more harshly than others do. For this reason, we are often never satisfied. We have an unrealistic idea that things are supposed to be a certain way; if they aren't that way, we get upset. Anybody recognize yourself in this photo?
The beautiful thing about this is that God is not judging us the way we judge ourselves. He is the epitome of love and patience. He can see the end from the beginning and he knows what we will be if we stay on the potter's wheel, so to speak. He has a finished product in mind for our lives and therefore is not frustrated with the process like we can tend to get.
I have heard it said that one shouldn't pray for patience because it will cause trials to come into our lives. I have come to see it another way. Trials will come whether we are impatient or not. Asking God for patience isn't asking for a trial. It is asking for him to give us peace with who we are now and who we will be. When we learn to love ourselves (and others) for who we are, then patience will be a natural outflow of that love.
If you are having trouble with patience, why not go back to the beginning? Ask God to help you see yourself and your surroundings as he sees them. Don't get frustrated if you are not where you think you need to be. And never, never, never judge yourself by what someone else has or is doing. This isn't realistic and it only brings heartache and frustration. Just learn to thank God for what he is doing in you and leave the rest to him. In time you will find yourself with more patience than you thought possible. Yes, patience is a virtue but like everything else in life it is second to love.
God Bless,
Sullivan Jones
Anyone remember that children's song from Sunday School? I woke up this morning with that song in my mind. It was a reminder to me of how much God loves me that he doesn't give up on me as easily as I give up on myself. It's confession time. Here goes. I am my own worse critic. Most of us naturally critical people are. We may find things wrong with others around us but we tend to criticize ourselves even more harshly than others do. For this reason, we are often never satisfied. We have an unrealistic idea that things are supposed to be a certain way; if they aren't that way, we get upset. Anybody recognize yourself in this photo?
The beautiful thing about this is that God is not judging us the way we judge ourselves. He is the epitome of love and patience. He can see the end from the beginning and he knows what we will be if we stay on the potter's wheel, so to speak. He has a finished product in mind for our lives and therefore is not frustrated with the process like we can tend to get.
I have heard it said that one shouldn't pray for patience because it will cause trials to come into our lives. I have come to see it another way. Trials will come whether we are impatient or not. Asking God for patience isn't asking for a trial. It is asking for him to give us peace with who we are now and who we will be. When we learn to love ourselves (and others) for who we are, then patience will be a natural outflow of that love.
If you are having trouble with patience, why not go back to the beginning? Ask God to help you see yourself and your surroundings as he sees them. Don't get frustrated if you are not where you think you need to be. And never, never, never judge yourself by what someone else has or is doing. This isn't realistic and it only brings heartache and frustration. Just learn to thank God for what he is doing in you and leave the rest to him. In time you will find yourself with more patience than you thought possible. Yes, patience is a virtue but like everything else in life it is second to love.
God Bless,
Sullivan Jones