Journal Entry ~ 07/22/19

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for The Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Psalm 130:5-6

Waiting can be the most difficult part of our lives, but it is also a most critical part in our transformation. Without the waiting, God cannot do the sanctifying work He does in our hearts. The moments we are waiting - whether it's in a line of traffic or for our child to accept Christ - are powerful opportunities to welcome God in and keep our hearts renewed in him. Waiting is part of His plan for us. 

The problem is many of us think we just need to become a more patient person - but that doesn’t happen simply by thinking we should. We can't just determine we are going to be more patient because that's biblical and we want to be Godly in our conduct. That strategy may work for a little while, but chances are good you will fail and end up back where you started because you never really took care of the problem. In our own power, we simply cannot be more patient because in our own power, we are inherently self focused and we want what we want when we want it. 

No, to become more patient in the waiting, we must dive deeper into our hearts, surrendering and seeing Christ's strength in those moments we need patience. That process starts with getting at the root of why we are struggling with patience. We can't think in general terms, though, we must think in very specific terms - the reason I am not patient when trying to get my kids out the door is a very different reason than the reason I am not patient in a trial with my son’s salvation. Perhaps I am not patient because I worry about what other people will think - if this is the case, my struggle is with fear of man. Perhaps I am not patient because I worry about something devastating happening - this might be a lack of trust. 

God very intentionally places us in a situations where we need to wait because He wants to expose a portion of your heart that needs work. Instead of getting frustrated in the moment, pause and ask Him to reveal to you what He sees so that you can begin the process of changing your heart. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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