What Are We To Do When God Gets Cabin Fever?
Good Morning Friends,
What is it with the fruit of the Spirit that makes some expressions easier than others? This last week we have had some storms in Florida and there is nothing like a storm to bring out my less tolerant side. I get cabin fever. During this time one virtue in particular is so desperately needed and so hard to produce when we are trying to survive a storm. Lacking it always seems to get me into a pickle. But why is it there in our emotions? Its balance is a key for successful team building and really shows forth our own strength when we have prepared ourselves to exhibit this virtue when it is needed most. People are puzzled by its power. How in heaven’s name are we to become more patient? What Are We To Do When God Gets Cabin Fever?
Scripture: By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
Galatians 5:22-5:23 (NRSV)
‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.
Luke 8:11-8:15 (NRSV)
Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
Psalms 25:5 (NRSV)
Message: The Bible is filled with examples of people’s impatience. The disciples were impatient with the Syrophenician woman and the Samaritans and children. Martha was impatient with her sister Mary. Moses got impatient with the murmuring of Israel. Wisdom is knowing when waiting is the right response and when action is needed to fully live this day here and now. Some things are God’s will for us to await. There is a proper time and season for marriage, the right job, vacations, and children and just about everything under the sun. Conceptually we understand that, but in the waiting we are not to miss out on the joys and rewards God has planned for us either. The message is that God is patient with our sins and impatient over our misery and the misery of others. By looking forward with impatience or worry we miss the mark. If we move without faith and God…then we miss the mark as well.
This is hard when there is a storm in one’s life. When we are cooped up and hunkering down. Sometimes I feel compelled to act before the time is right. I may be kind but I am not patient. And I cannot help but think that perhaps when God sees how pathetic we are at missions of the church He too might get impatient. The harsh reality is that the status quo is just not an option. We either grow or we die. There is no middle ground. If we become content and start making excuse why we should not act people will suffer. Sure we need to be patient and wait for God’s timing but maybe our impatience is God saying that our lukewarm spiritual apathy as a culture…as church just does not cut it. The reality is we get pretty good at making excuses for not doing the work. But the status quo is not an option for a Christian. There is work waiting to be done. And we should never be content with our spiritual life, our church, our family situation anyway. The Spirit is continually moving us towards holiness. If we ever become content, we have stopped listening to the Spirit. Our only hope is to become disciplined and with patience keep on doing that which has been set before us. Friends, the exercise of patience is one of the most difficult cardiovascular workouts in life. It forces us to face who we really are… It forces us to seek the heart of the matter…our very purpose as we concern ourselves with who we really are made to be. Here in the middle of our wait training we can discover something very important. Friends, we have been planned… we have been formed…we have been created…we have been shaped…we have been made to love. Until we empty ourselves of all that we claim as our own we can never be filled with what God wants to pour into us. Here as we dig into today’s scripture we discover that waiting for God needs strength and discipline. Waiting is far more difficult that working. Waiting requires surrender. Waiting can bring us to tears. Waiting is inescapable. That is why we must embrace patience. But the time is coming for action and it might be sooner than you think.
Pray that our yoke is a place of patience, humility, trust and love. Pray we learn the art of patience. Pray that in our times of desperation we confess that we need to be patient. Pray we have patience to face our fears. Pray we have patience to face our foes. Pray we have patience to face the fight before us. Pray we have patience to face our failures. Pray we have patience to face those who have forsaken us. Pray we have patience to face the false witnesses that are brought against us. Pray we not faint but have the strength of patience. Pray that when we seek the Lord in the sanctuary and out of it…in the attitude of joyful praise, in the heart of our emotions, in the truth of the Word made flesh…in the quiet confidence of patient trust we discover that the flow of blessings into our lives, like the tears we have yet to shed, can be blocked. Pray that we overcome fear and anger by focusing on God. Pray that we discover in worship, in fellowship, in discipleship, in ministry and in evangelism that we can overcome. Pray that when we are caught in a web of waiting that we not give up. Pray that we realize that our tribulations can indeed help us develop patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope that is full of God’s presence.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 