Monday; November 7

There are times when I am patient and tolerant of the people around me. There are times when it takes quite a bit to ruffle me. There are times when I find it easy to go the extra mile. Now is not one of those times! I am not sure what is happening, but I am in one of those periods when the best is not necessarily coming out of me. It wasn’t too long ago that Jeane noticed it and said something about it; now I am feeling it for myself. I am not sure that I have found the root of the issue, but I can relate to Paul’s dilemma, “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15).

I bring this up for a couple of reasons. First, they say that confession is good for the soul. By expressing this (rather than excusing it) I have an obligation to do something about it. Acknowledgment is the beginning of accountability. However, this is only a part of the process. If I merely point out the obvious, that doesn’t do any of us any good – so I have to move to the next level. I need to make some alterations in my attitudes and actions. My go to verse when I go through these times is succinct, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19-20). I know what to do, now it is time to do it.

I hope you are a master at longsuffering, but if you ever struggle with patience don’t forget that acknowledgement and action are keys to getting back to where we need to be. Practicing patience is not only a character-builder for us, it is also a blessing to those around us!

Think About It!

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