My lovely wife, Rosemary, forwarded me Charles Swindoll's devotional for today. In it he talks about "irritations" such as traffic jams, long line-ups, incompetent people, etc. (I would add to that list breakfast servers who do not come to the table with a pot of coffee in their hand!). Here is part of what the devotional says:
When it comes to irritations, I've found that it helps if I remember that I am not in charge of my day . . . God is. And while I'm sure He wants me to use my time wisely, He is more concerned with the development of my character and the cultivation of the qualities that make me Christlike within. One of His preferred methods of training is through adjustments to irritations.
(You can read the entire article here.)
The irritations have a purpose, whether we see it or not. God may be looking for us to adjust our schedule in order to accommodate what He is trying to accomplish in us; and in doing so He is trying to build our character, because the ONLY thing we take with us when we leave this world is our character. (I guess I can wait a few more minutes for my coffee ...)
Amazing Grace and Peace that surpasses ALL understanding be yours today,
Bruce
Lord, teach me to be patient - with life, with people,and with myself.
I sometimes try to hurry things along too much, and I push for answers before the time is right.
Teach me to trust Your sense of timing rather than my ownand to surrender my will to Your greater and wiser plan.
Help me let life unfold slowly, like the small rosebud whose petals unravel bit by bit, and remind me that in hurrying the bloom along, I destroy the bud and much of the beauty therein.
Instead, let me wait for all to unfold in its own time.
Each moment and state of growth contains a loveliness.
Teach me to slow down enough to appreciate life and all it holds.
Amen.
 | Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know. |
So often, we hear Christians consider bad stuff happening around them -- anything from minor irritants like a waitress showing up without a coffee pot to the big stuff like insolvency or discovering your favourite child has gone off to join a cult that believes that when you die, your soul goes to a used car lot in Buffalo -- as "attacks by the enemy". But one thing I've learned lately is that if we give Satan the credit, it stops there. "Satan is attacking me." End of discussion. In fact, there's even a measure of pride, because we figure we're SO important to the Kingdom that Satan NATURALLY wants to be rid of us! But if you look at the same situation and try to find how God is using it to strengthen you, two things happen: first, you de-fang Satan; second, you go on this wondrous search for what God is up to. And when we search for God in the situation, Jesus says He will add to us all the wordly things that we need -- including patience, insight and a new humility.
ReplyDeleteneat thought, Drew! great perspective!
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