Devotional for Tuesday, 6/25/13
I grow tomato plants. I should say, each year I plant seeds, water them, and protect them as best I know how. Sometimes I have an abundance of fruit and in other years I have to buy more from the grocery store than I am able to pick. One thing I have discovered is that when the tomatoes are still green, an intense period of heat will turn them into a beautiful, gorgeous red fruit worth having.
That's what it is like in my personal walk as a follower of Christ. I study His word, I pray, I spend time getting Godly counsel from more mature women, I go to church, I listen to sermons online, give to others, help with projects for the poor, etc. These are all good things and they develop green fruit in me: such as kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, love, joy, gentleness, and self-control. But I have discovered that it takes intense life challenges for any of these desirable traits to grow into real worthwhile lasting character in me.
This is where my family and friends come into God's plan. I refer to them as God's preferred tools for helping. There is no one more honest, gut-wrenchingly so, than a frustrated child, who sees more clearly than I do when I am saying one thing yet doing another. What should I do when my child does something wrong? "Angry at the sinner' is my natural reaction as I am mortified that this person whom I love so intensely has done something wrong and possibly even harmed someone else in the process. Even when they are sorry, I am thinking, "How could you?" Where is God's unconditional love in that? How am I using self-control if I dump every emotion surging through me all over this child, this person, this sinner?
I have discovered that the only way to be kind and gentle in a crisis is to practice being kind and gentle all the time. I have to practice being kind and gentle during little things, like someone cutting in front of me in line at the store, or my husband forgetting something, or a car cutting me off in traffic. Personally, I believe that if I just practiced patience and gentleness while driving, I would likely be the nicest person ever:)
I am not saying I think I should allow people to cut in front of me. I am saying that I can choose to be polite no matter what is going on.
There are no shortcuts to developing Godly character - every time I open my mouth, I am responsible for what comes out of it - whether it is loving and good - or ugly and rude - or sassy and stinging. If I want to 'Hate the Sin, but Love the Sinner' I am going to have to keep practicing God's kind of love. The kind of love that cares about people in spite of where they are at - and the kind of love that can love an angry child/friend/husband who doesn't love you at that moment.
Dear God, please help me to be patient when I feel like no one is being patient with me. Because I know Lord, that You are being patient with me. Thank You for holding me accountable for my sin, for not leaving me in my sin, and for loving this sinner. In Jesus name, amen.
Written by Mary M. Wilkins
I grow tomato plants. I should say, each year I plant seeds, water them, and protect them as best I know how. Sometimes I have an abundance of fruit and in other years I have to buy more from the grocery store than I am able to pick. One thing I have discovered is that when the tomatoes are still green, an intense period of heat will turn them into a beautiful, gorgeous red fruit worth having.
That's what it is like in my personal walk as a follower of Christ. I study His word, I pray, I spend time getting Godly counsel from more mature women, I go to church, I listen to sermons online, give to others, help with projects for the poor, etc. These are all good things and they develop green fruit in me: such as kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, love, joy, gentleness, and self-control. But I have discovered that it takes intense life challenges for any of these desirable traits to grow into real worthwhile lasting character in me.
This is where my family and friends come into God's plan. I refer to them as God's preferred tools for helping. There is no one more honest, gut-wrenchingly so, than a frustrated child, who sees more clearly than I do when I am saying one thing yet doing another. What should I do when my child does something wrong? "Angry at the sinner' is my natural reaction as I am mortified that this person whom I love so intensely has done something wrong and possibly even harmed someone else in the process. Even when they are sorry, I am thinking, "How could you?" Where is God's unconditional love in that? How am I using self-control if I dump every emotion surging through me all over this child, this person, this sinner?
I am not saying I think I should allow people to cut in front of me. I am saying that I can choose to be polite no matter what is going on.
There are no shortcuts to developing Godly character - every time I open my mouth, I am responsible for what comes out of it - whether it is loving and good - or ugly and rude - or sassy and stinging. If I want to 'Hate the Sin, but Love the Sinner' I am going to have to keep practicing God's kind of love. The kind of love that cares about people in spite of where they are at - and the kind of love that can love an angry child/friend/husband who doesn't love you at that moment.
Trust steadily in God,
hope unswervingly,
love extravagantly.
And the best of the three is love.
I Corinthians 13:13b MSG
Dear God, please help me to be patient when I feel like no one is being patient with me. Because I know Lord, that You are being patient with me. Thank You for holding me accountable for my sin, for not leaving me in my sin, and for loving this sinner. In Jesus name, amen.
Written by Mary M. Wilkins
Well said. I try to have patience but it is not always present in my behavior. I stand convicted of impatience and of self talk that is not always what God would have. I plan to think about this and ask God to show me how to be more patient.
ReplyDeleteGod bless...
This message is exactly what we need to hold on to - especially this week, and in the days to come. I am praying that I keep my convictions and my compassion in line with God's plans for this country.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary.