Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
~ 2 Timothy 4:2
I was writing down the above verse earlier, and just as I got to the last part about doing it all with great patience and careful instruction my daughter, who had been doing a lot of playing instead of finishing her supper, knocked over her glass of water. Well, I didn't have great patience, and it certainly wasn't careful instruction that I snapped at her... It's ironic how things like that work. I was writing the verse down because it was so powerful to me, and I really wanted to work at applying it to my life, but even before I finished penning it down, I had already abandoned the message. God's Word has so much to say about patience and gentleness, I'm pretty sure that that's because of the fact that sinful human nature is the exact opposite. But the Bible does lead me to believe that it is possible. So today, I want to ask you: How do you keep your cool? How do you develop great patience and respond with careful instruction instead of with harsh reactions?
Earlier this week I mentioned that I got some new books in the mail, one being "Uprooting Anger" by Robert D. Jones. I'm hoping that that helps with both of those things, because patience seems to be the opposite of angry reactions...
Any thoughts?
I like Michelle Duggar's method....using a gentle voice also known as a soft/gentle answer. Proverbs 15:1
ReplyDeleteOn second thought, it's really not her "method" but is God's .....
I agree, Robin, and that's my end all goal, it's getting there that's the issue. There are seemingly hundreds of Bible verses that instruct us to be gentle, it's just something that I struggle with :(
DeleteI think this is so true, I do the same thing: read a powerful message about change and then fall into the same old habbit given half the chance! I try and remind myself that God has every right to snap at me and be angry with me but instead that he has chosen to be slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me how beautifully I have been treated even though I deserve the exact opposite and it helps me to be more patient.
If God can be patient with a sinner like me I can certainly be patient with others who have offended, upset or angered me far less than I have God!
That is beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing it with me!
Delete