I'm all for having more patience... I just hate all the waiting!

Do you consider yourself a patient person?  I like to think that I am...but I'm not really.  I have somehow developed the ability to look relaxed and patient while my insides are one huge knot of frustration and impatience.  I guess that's a good thing sometimes, but it doesn't help me when the One I'm impatient with is God—what with Him knowing all my inner thoughts an all.

Am I the only one who gets impatient with God?  I tend to think not.  Not so much because I know so much about other people but because of the number of books and sermons I found that deal specifically with learning to “wait on the Lord”.  One book, especially, I think I want to check out.  It's called  You're Late Again, Lord!  The Impatient Woman's Guide to God's Timing.  The author, Karon Goodman, seems to really understand how hard it is to submit to God's perfect timing.  In the introduction to the book, Goodman sums it up quite nicely.

“We have become so accustomed to ordering and orchestrating and planning and scheduling that it is incredibly hard to admit that not all is within our control. Many decisions every day are ours to handle, and we get pretty good at taking care of things. We believe that we could carry on even better if God would only cooperate. We demand the answers we need from him, and yet we hear no response. We question and condemn the intolerable delays in the events we need to happen in our lives, and yet nothing changes. Doesn't God know that we need those answers NOW?
“Yes, he knows, but thankfully, he's smarter than we are. Because he knows how hard it is for us to wait, to abandon control and to trust beyond ourselves, he has devised a plan just for us. The basis of the plan appeared many years ago, but it applies so well today, to you and me. God is so clever.”

That's the hardest part, I think—trusting God enough to release our grip on our life and handing it over to Him,...even if we don't know or understand what He has in mind for us.

 

As Christians, I believe our definition of patience differs from the secular definition.  Secular patience can be defined as 

“the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation; the ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.”

Patience in the context of secular behavior is more about appearance than anything that might be going on in a person's heart or mind.  But in a Christian context, patience becomes something very different.  It is wrapped together with things like faith, contentment, and meekness.  Christian patience is about waiting or resting.  According to a pastor by the name of J. Hampton Keathley, III, 

“waiting means resting in God's timing and activity while taking care of our responsibilities—the things we can do and should do as set forth in the Word of God.”

Additionally, Keathley says that “waiting always means seeking the Lord.”  Waiting for God is not like waiting in a doctor's office.  There are things we need to be doing while we wait.  We need to be studying the Bible to find answers to our questions and

“claiming God's promises” and  praying for wisdom and understanding.
“The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God's word. “  Lamentations 3:2

Keathley states that 

“Waiting means claiming God's promises by faith and resting in what God is doing in our lives so we can faithfully follow God's principles and keep His values, priorities, and pursuits.”

If we're not waiting for the Lord or resting in Him, we are probably trying to solve things by ourselves, in our own strength.  We are trying to protect ourselves because we are angry, afraid and/or jealous.  We whine, grumble, or even run away from the problems. 

 “We try to control others, call attention to ourselves to bolster our feelings of inadequacy or to defend ourselves against the comments of others.  Out of fear of failure or loss we compromise our convictions, or what we know is rights.  But fear, which has displaced faith in the Lord, causes us to lean on the arm of flesh.”  

Keathley sure doesn't beat around the bush does he.

“To wait on the Lord means learning to be content and patient as we cling to God in a fallen world and rest in His love and wisdom.”

Paul already had that all figured out, didn't he. 

“Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.” Philippians 4:11.

Mrs. White made this comment about patience:  

“Patience under trials will keep us from saying and doing those things which will injure our own souls and injure those with whom we associate. Let your trials be what they will, nothing can seriously injure you if you exercise patience, if you are calm and unexcited when in trying positions.”  E.G. White, Our High Calling (1961), page 70. 

“Do your best, and then wait, patiently, hopefully, rejoicingly, because the promise of God can not fail. Christ's life of untiring effort has been recorded for our encouragement. He did not fail nor become discouraged. In time of trial, be patient. Patience is a precious jewel. It will bring health to heart and mind. Wait on the Lord until he sees that you are ready to receive and appreciate the blessings for which you ask. Exercise faith, even though the trials are severe. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Of faith hope is born.” The Review & Herald, May 30, 1912.

Trusting God with Reckless Abandon

The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 Amplified Bible

I think I can safely say that most of us trust God to some extent.  We will all say that we trust God for our salvation...but do we trust Him with our mundane, everyday needs—having enough money for groceries and bills, getting along with our co-workers and those difficult people who must be gotten along with?  Do we trust God as much as we can trust Him?  As much as He wants us to trust Him?  Can we honestly say that we follow Solomon's directions in Proverbs 3:5:  “Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”?

 

What about Psalm 56:11: “In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid...”?  Does that mean that I can't claim to trust God and still worry about stuff?  It looks that way to me.  What do you think?  According to that text, the opposite of trust is fear.  It's not possible to do both.

Think about tithing.  When we pay our tithe, we're trusting God to make 90 percent of our income cover 100% of our bills.  Or what about keeping the Sabbath.  We're trusting God to help us complete in six days what should take seven.  Have you ever known someone who paid their tithe and then worried all the time about how they were going to make ends meet?  Or someone who keeps the Sabbath, but worries all Sabbath long about what he (or she) should be doing?

When I was in college, I knew folks who gladly put away their studies as soon as the sun went down on Friday night and didn't think about them again...well, until well after Sabbath was over.  I knew folks who kept studying right through Sabbath because they felt they wouldn't be able to get finished if they put their books up for that 24 hour period.  And I also knew folks who grudgingly put their books away and spent Sabbath wondering how they'd get it all done come Saturday night. 

Now, I'll admit that I was part of the first group, but mostly because I was not much of a studier and was always happy to find some excuse to put my studies away.  But after watching all three groups of people, I can definitely say that those who willingly took Sabbath off and worked hard the rest of the week, accomplished at least the same amount of work that those who studied through Sabbath did.  I learned that I can trust God to make six days of work stretch to fit seven days of tasks.

Of course the same types of things happen when we tithe.  Miracles happen when we trust God in the little parts of our lives. 

But do we trust God to build us into the people who can work for Him?  We tell God that we want to do great things for Him, but are we willing to let God create the ability to accomplish those great things?  Or do we take off on our own because we feel like God is moving too slowly and we want to get the job done right now?  Do we trust God to heal us when we've hit the wall because we've run out ahead of Him?  Do we trust Him with our broken hearts and shattered dreams?

One author I read this week reminds us that we are called 

“to trust God in the midst of it all; to keep returning to the Lord; to continually acknowledge His sovereign control and absolute goodness in the face of crippling pain. ...He is an expert at fixing broken things.  He's also the master of breaking things that need fixing.” 

What an amazing thought!  We are called...called to be broken, so that we can be mended to “use what is broken to magnify His glory and spread His gospel of grace throughout your sphere of influence.”

“God offers us peace in the time of war, and He takes away our peace when our desire for comfort distorts our sense of right and wrong. God is never a reflection of us at all, and yet He always responds to us right where we are.  He provides for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty.  He humbles the rich and powerful who make themselves fat from the bitter toiling and suffering of others.”  

Isn't that amazing?  God knows exactly what we need and when we need it, and He's demonstrated it over and over again.  But we still have a hard time trusting His methods and timing.  Well, I do anyway.

But then God reminds me through Isaiah, 

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

What a blessing to know that God knows when I am afraid and He promises that He will make me strong again and help me.  You too.

I want you to read this (probably apocryphal) story that has made the rounds of e-mails asking you to forward it to your closest friends so that your wishes will all come true.  Because of that, I think I didn't really read it the first couple of times.  Maybe you didn't either, but I'm not asking you to forward this to anybody.  Just think about the amount of faith this one man had.

A pastor stood and walked to the pulpit and introduced a guest minister.  In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends.

An elderly man then stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.  “A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific coast,” he began, “when a fast-approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore.  The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into to ocean as the boat capsized.”

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.  The aged minister continued with his story.  “Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life; to which boy would he throw the other end of the life line?  He only had seconds to make the decision.  The father knew that his son had given his heart to Jesus and he also knew that his son's friend had not.  The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of the waves.

As the father yelled out, “I love you, son!” He threw the lifeline to his son's friend.  By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night.  His body was never recovered. 

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth. 

“The father” he continued, “was confident that his son knew Jesus as his Savior and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend dying with out Jesus.  Therefore he sacrificed his son to save his son's friend.

“How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us.  Our Heavenly Father sacrificed his only-begotten Son that we could be saved.  I urge you to accept His offer to rescue you and take hold of the lifeline He is throwing out to you.”  

With that, the old man turned and sat back down as silenced filled the room.

As soon as the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side.  “That was a nice story,” one said, “but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian.”

“Well, you've got a point there,” the old man replied glancing down at his worn Bible.  A big smile broadened his narrow face.  He looked up at the boys and said, “It sure isn't very realistic is it?  But I'm standing here today to tell you that that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me.  You see, I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend.”

“Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,    they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:28-31

Don’t Worry. Be Happy!

Easy for me to say, right?  But not really practical.  You’ve probably heard the intentional mis-quoting of Rudyard Kipling:  “If you can keep your calm when those around you are losing theirs…you clearly don’t understand the situation!”  We all worry, don’t we? (I hope I’m not the only one!)  Some of us worry more than others, for whatever reason, but we all worry about something.

What do you worry about?  Money? School? Kids? What to make for supper? What to wear to work or school?  Whether to buy this brand or that brand of cereal?  Does your shirt match your pants? Do you worry so much that you can’t enjoy anything?  Do you worry that you worry too much? 

So, do you think worrying is a problem?  One psychologist told me that worrying, like guilt, is what gets most of us off the dime.  Worry is what motivates us to make good grades; get up and go to work every morning; or pay our bills. If we didn’t worry or feel guilty about things, we’d never accomplish anything at all.  That’s disheartening isn’t it?  I’d like to think that I do things for loftier reasons than worry and guilt.  How sad…if it’s true.  What do you think?

Then, there’s the philosophy on the popular book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, and it’s all small stuff.  That’s kind of the other extreme, isn’t it?  It’s right up there with the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” philosophy.  Is it possible to just make up your mind one day that you’re not going to worry about anything any more?  How do you do that?

Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where George’s father was trying to find peace and calm by saying to himself, “Serenity Now!”  whenever he felt he was loosing his cool.  Hilarity ensues as tension mounts and Mr. Kostanza tries to force himself to remain calm.  Each time he says, “serenity now”, it’s louder and more frantic until he’s yelling. And, of course, it doesn’t work.  I don’t believe that someone can just tell himself (or herself) not to worry and then not worry.  I’ve met people who are trying to live like that, haven’t you?  They go around pretending not to be worried about anything while their world is falling down around them.  Not a good place to be.

Bummer, I don’t think I want to live with either of those options.  Worrying all the time, about everything would be exhausting and depressing!  But then so would forcing myself not to worry.  Thankfully, as Christians, we have a third choice.

“ So I say to you, Take no thought for your life, about food or drink, or about clothing for your body. Is not life more than food, and the body more than its clothing? See the birds of heaven; they do not put seeds in the earth, they do not get in grain, or put it in store-houses; and your Father in heaven gives them food. Are you not of much more value than they? And which of you by taking thought is able to make himself a cubit taller? And why are you troubled about clothing? See the flowers of the field, how they come up; they do no work, they make no thread: But I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God gives such clothing to the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is put into the oven, will he not much more give you clothing, O you of little faith? Then do not be full of care, saying, What are we to have for food or drink? or, With what may we be clothed? Because the Gentiles go in search of all these things: for your Father in heaven has knowledge that you have need of all these things: But let your first care be for his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these other things will be given to you in addition. Then have no care for tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Take the trouble of the day as it comes.” (Mat 6:25-34 BBE)

I heard a pastor say one time, that there are 365 “Fear not” verses in the Bible – one for every day of the year.  I’m trying to confirm that…still counting, but even if there aren’t exactly 365, there are a bunch of them.  That pastor said that God put those there to prove to us that we don’t need to worry. 

“God cares for everything and sustains everything that He has created…No tears are shed that He does not notice.  There is no smile that He does not mark.  If we would but fully believe this, all undue anxieties would be dismissed.  Our lives would not be so filled with disappointment as now; for everything, whether great or small, would be left in the hands of God, who is not perplexed by the multiplicity of cares or overwhelmed by their weight.  We should then enjoy a rest of soul to which many have long be strangers.”p471-472Mind, Character and Personality, Volume 2

The question is not, then, “How do I stop worrying?” but “Do I trust God?”  That’s a much easier question to answer.  My personal experience tells me that I can trust God.

But that raises another question.  If there are 365 fear nots in the Bible, that would imply that God really, really doesn’t want us to worry.  So is it wrong to worry?  Ellen White says in The Youth’s Instructor/January 23, 1902 “The Fair Flowers of Promise", 

“God is dishonored when we fret and worry.  Thus we show that we are not trusting in Him but in ourselves.”  Another time she tells a friend “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, but cease worrying.”(2MCP467.3)

I’m not sure whether or not worrying could be considered a sin, but I think it, at best, is a waste of time and, at worst, can separate us from God. 

“When we take into our hands the management of things with which we have to do and depend upon our own wisdom for success, we are taking a burden which God has not given us and are trying to bear it with out His aid.  We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility that belongs to God, and thus are really putting ourselves in His place.  We may well have anxiety and anticipate danger and loss, for it is certain to befall us.  But when we really believe that God loves us and means to do us good, we shall cease to worry about the future.  We shall trust God as a child trusts a loving parent.  Then our troubles and torments will disappear, for our will is swallowed up in the will of God.(2MCP468.3)

I don’t want to do God’s job, do you?  And if it’s not my job, then I don’t have to worry about it!  Cool.  That makes not worrying a whole lot easier than I thought.  What a relief!  Because we have lots of proof in the Bible that God only wants what’s best for us.  He is our Good Shepherd and our loving Father.  Jesus gave His life to give us the best future He could and He wants our present to be good as well. 

“For I am conscious of my thoughts about you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope at the end."  (Jer 29:11 BBE)

If you’re not convinced yet, that God is taking care of us so that there is nothing left for us to worry about, here’s one last E. G. White quote:

“Our heavenly Father measures and weighs every trial before He permits it to come upon the believer.  He considers the circumstances and the strength of the one who is to stand under the proving and test of God, and He never permits the temptations to be greater than the capacity of resistance.”(2MCP473.2)

You have to step out of the boat if you want your feet on solid ground.

 Commentary on the Sabbath School lesson for 3.26.11

“How interesting, … that in recent years reputable studies are showing that those who attend and participate in church services (compared to those who don’t) on a regular basis are:    •less likely to suffer from substance abuse
•more likely to be sexually responsible•less involved in risky behaviors
•more likely to practice business and work-related ethics•more likely to enjoy a richer social network and group support•more likely to display higher levels of self-esteem and personal efficacy•more likely to cope better with losses (death of dear ones, calamities, health complications, and so on)•more likely to harbor positive emotions (love, forgiveness, contentment, and so on)•less likely to harbor negative emotions (guilt, fear, hostility, anger, and so on).”[1]

Does any of the information in that quote startle you? Not at all? Maybe a little?  Maybe for other churches but not for your own?  Truth is, those studies shouldn’t surprise any of us, because we know that the closer any one of us comes in relationship to Jesus, the more emotionally stable healthy we become. 

We have to be like Peter and step beyond what we know about what is possible and impossible and put ourselves completely in the Hands of Jesus, only then can we begin to become who  He wants us to be.  We can break down that process into several interlocking elements:  

“prayer, corporate worship and community involvement, forgiveness, service, and trusting God,”[2]

“Some things make you successful whatever path you take … You need to be with God daily. You need to be in constant prayer. You need to incorporate God's Word into your life, constantly evaluating your life to make sure you are following God's lead. You must be in fellowship with a body of believers with mutual accountability and genuine friendship.”[3]

Have you ever noticed that the folks who seem the most critical of what’s going on around them, are often those who are not participating fully with their community of believers?  The more we isolate ourselves from our brothers and sisters in Christ, the less satisfactory is the rest of our life in general, and the more difficult it becomes to remain committed to our mission (spreading the gospel).

“In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell tells the strange story of Christopher Langan, a genius with a staggering IQ of 195. (For some perspective, Einstein's IQ was 150). During high school, Langan could ace any foreign language test by skimming the textbook 2-3 minutes before the exam. He got a perfect score on his SAT, even though at one point he fell asleep. But Langan failed to use his exceptional gifts and ended up working on a horse farm in rural Missouri."According to Gladwell, Langan never had a community to help him capitalize on his gifts.Gladwell summarizes the story of Langan in one sentence: ‘[Langan] had to make his way alone, and no one—not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses—ever makes it alone.’”[4]

Sometimes we hold back because we think we can manage on our own; sometimes it’s because we get so comfortable that we don’t want to make any unplanned moves.  But what if Peter had stopped to think about comfort instead of stepping out of the boat to come to Jesus?  What if he had waited for someone else to go first to see how they did?  Being part of the community includes leaving our comfort zone.

Jesus and His disciples didn’t lead a comfortable life, even according to the standards of their day, but they did have everything they needed to be emotionally and spiritually stable and mature: “prayer, corporate worship and community involvement, forgiveness, service, and trusting God.”

The notable exception was Judas; he held back.  He didn’t really move beyond his own plans and ideas.  He never fully committed his life to Jesus.

I’m afraid that I’m hopelessly mixing metaphors here – stepping out of the boat and being an active part of the community of Jesus.  But I think that assumes that being a follower of Jesus will always be a comfortable experience.  I don’t believe it will be (and in some parts of the world, already isn’t).  We have to believe like Peter did:  If Jesus says I can walk on water, I can walk on water.  And that no matter how dangerous things look from our perspective, the absolutely safest place we can be is on our way to Jesus.

That’s something we need to remember as the time for Jesus to come gets closer, because we can’t really prepare for exactly how things will be.  We only know that we need to hang on to Jesus.

Mark Mitchell explained it this way: 

“Several years ago I ran a marathon. I trained hard to be as prepared as possible, but there's a part of a marathon that's always hard to prepare for. A marathon is just a little over 26 miles, but experts tell you not to run over 20 miles in your training. That means the last six miles of a marathon are ‘no man's land.’ You don't know what you're getting yourself into. You may hit a wall. You may have cramps. You only know that it's going to be tough. But you also try to believe that if you train hard enough, you will be ready and will be able to cross that glorious finish line.“We read a passage like Luke 21, and it's like we're reading about the last six miles of a marathon. We know it's going to be hard, and we know that there is nothing we can do now to replicate what it will be like then. But Jesus has told us what to look for and how to be prepared—how to cross the finish line. We prepare by being wise and discerning about the false claims of religious hucksters. We prepare by resting in the fact that God is sovereign and whatever happens to us is part of his plan. We prepare by trusting that he's creating opportunities for us to bear witness, and he'll give us the words we need when we need them. We prepare by learning to endure hardship so that when greater hardship comes, we don't fall by the wayside. We prepare by refusing to allow ourselves to buy the lie that the things of this world are the most important things. We prepare by praying each day for God's strength to face whatever the last six miles of life may hold for us.”[5]

---

[1] Dan Solis, “Partnership with Jesus”, Jesus Wept: Adult Bible Study Guide, March 19-25

[2] Ibid.

[3] Kay Coles James, Marriage Partnership, Vol. 11, no. 2.

[4] Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers (Little, Brown and Company, 2008), p. 115

[5] Mark Mitchell, in his sermon "Ready or Not, Here I Come!" PreachingToday.com