Be Patient | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

I was quite inspired on yesterday by the words Bishop Daryl S. Brister shared on Facebook:

"Patience is refined in trying times, when you're frustrated with the waiting and tempted to act outside of God's will.  Always seek His wisdom, and follow the instruction you receive. Remember that 'those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength' (Isa. 40:31)."

Honestly, these trials of late have truly refined my own patience.  And since patience is listed among the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 as "longsuffering," it's certainly something that should be outwardly seen as a byproduct of the presence of GOD's Spirit within us believers.  When we manifest patience, we begin to showcase our GOD and the culture of His Kingdom in highly noticeable ways to others.  For example, I've even noticed how differently I behave now in a slow-moving store checkout line than the average person. Yes, I'm in a hurry and have things to do just like everyone else; but I also understand that exhibiting a poor attitude or speaking negatively won't hurry things either.  And furthermore, it certainly won't make anyone want to inquire further of me about the GOD I serve.

Before dismissing me as just another holy roller Jesus freak, I do understand that life gets frustrating; and it's hardly ever convenient to wait.  However, we ought NEVER feel forced to act outside of GOD's will.  While our souls are certainly tempted to take matters into our own hands, it is with patience that we must possess our souls (Luke 21:19).  Often times, we may think that we know best; but when it comes to staying in the will of GOD, it is our Father who best knows HOW we should handle life's frustrating moments.  As we yield to the Holy Spirit's leading, know that our faithful obedience causes us to tap into the Source of supernatural power we've been given for the express purpose of dominating earthly matters with Heaven's influence.

Therefore, let's strive to approach our life situations by seeking wisdom and direction from GOD FIRST and then FOLLOW the instructions He gives by His Spirit.  It's really funny how we can trust GOD for our eternal security, yet doubt Him for our temporal provision.  But we do so because we fail to see that the same faith by which we've received the gift of salvation unto eternal life ALSO works in receiving GOD-outcomes in our daily lives.  Our Father WANTS us to succeed, but we've got to commit ourselves to doing that which He says manifests success. The strength we need to succeed then is found in GOD's presence, which is where we embrace the fruit of the Spirit and are inspired to practice behaviors like patience on a daily basis with the expectation of Heaven's dominion influencing Earth's outcomes.