Tag: Patience

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Tetelestai Recovery

The Purpose of Tests: Cultivating Patience and Growth

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My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4

Sometimes, our tests are random and spring up like a pop quiz. Other times, an ominous test looms far in the future, and we struggle to avoid it. However, considering this passage, we need not avoid tests. They all have a purpose; even the ones we fail. If the test teaches us to be patient, with ourselves, with God, or with another human being, we have passed. With God, we are always in a win-win situation.

Our tests are to develop patience. The work of patience is to develop perfection. There is no fast track from one to the other. Each test takes time. That’s where patience does its work.

The bridge from knowledge to skill is practice.

The bridge from skill to mastery is time.

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Understanding Divine Timing: Strategic Waiting

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Waiting on God and being certain of His blessings is not pie-in-the-sky or wishful thinking. This faith choice is not presumptuous or improper. Blessings are the divine energy of God empowering us to succeed because we choose to believe in His goodness. He has equipped us with a divine destiny. He wants to see us succeed as much as we do.

And so, we wait for what God has promised, in the same way we might wait at a bus stop, in eager anticipation. We aren’t sitting at some random corner, hoping a bus might drive by. We are positioned at the right place at the right time, waiting for what we know is on its way. We aren’t waiting to see if a hopeful future will appear. We are waiting with confidence, certain of it.

Obviously, it would be silly to wait on a country road, expecting the city bus to magically appear. In the same way, we do not wait for God, based on our own whims and wishes. We examine His words when we are waiting for our miracles, just like we would examine a bus schedule to be sure of our direction.

We don’t hop on the bus headed east, when we are trying to go west. In the same manner, we don’t claim a scripture about healing when we are trying to find a job. Specific promises deliver specific results, so we search our Sacred Text to find the words we need…

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Tetelestai Recovery

Embracing Movement: The Journey from Here to There

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Swirling trails of blue, purple, and gold light against a dark, blurred backdrop.

In our human condition, we seem to find ourselves here, trying to get there. Then, when we finally get there, it becomes here, and a new there looms on the horizon.

We are not made to be static or immobile. We are made to move. We are designed to set goals and achieve them. We are passionate about progress and driven by ambition. However, we are often annoyed by the process.

Waiting is exhausting. Waiting is painful. Waiting is a violation of our sense of urgency. Waiting disrespects the value of our time.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding Tests: Cultivating Patience

lastwordrecovery 
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  James 1:2-4

When caught up in a moment of testing, we must resist letting our feelings and circumstances serve as a litmus test for our faith. It is not healthy, nor is it accurate.

Tests are for the express purpose of developing patience. Whether the tests come from internal or external forces, they have a purpose. Some of the tests we face are due to our own weaknesses and might easily become our demise, but even then, God always has a better plan. Any test that activates patience is beneficial. Guilt and blame serve no purpose.

Patience tells us that tests are only temporary. Patience tells us that God is doing a good work in us, and He will complete it. Patience tells us not to judge our walk by one random stumble. Patience keeps us steady as we wait for the storm to pass.

It is patience that we lack when we throw up our hands and give up. It is patience that we lack when we question our progress. It is patience that will get us to the finish line. It is patience that will help us be gentle with ourselves.

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Navigating Spiritual Highs and Lows

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Sometimes we make really good progress and are pleased with the distance we cover in such a short time. We feel that our relationship with God is in great shape, and we are motivated by our sense of accomplishment.

At other times, however, we feel as if we were trudging through mud, putting one foot in front of the other, lacking any drive or inspiration. We feel inadequate, overwhelmed, and disinterested. During these times, we don’t feel so great about our relationship with God. We assume He is disappointed with our lack of energy and enthusiasm.

These times are rare, but they happen often enough to make us question our stability and resolve. We wonder if one of these periods might last so long that we will just give in and give up.

We don’t want to lose what we have gained, and we don’t want to miss the joy of the journey, so the thought of trudging through the marshy swampland of doubt, discouragement, and disagreement feels very threatening.

We love the mountaintops and the flowery meadows, but we must face the fact that dry deserts and muddy bogs are also part of the expedition. We must make peace with both if we want to get where we are going.

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The Pain of Waiting: Why We Crave Progress

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Many of us remember cruising down the highway singing along with the distinctive voice of Tom Petty as he wailed, “The way-ay-ay-ting is the hardest part.” Ironically, we drove at least 10 miles per hour over the speed limit because we were too impatient to slow down. We wanted to get where we were going and not waste time in the process.

In our human condition, we seem to find ourselves here, trying to get there. Then, when we finally get there, it becomes here, and a new there looms on the horizon.

We are not made to be static or immobile. We are made to move. We are designed to set goals and achieve them. We are passionate about progress and driven by ambition. However, we are often annoyed by the process.

Waiting is exhausting. Waiting is painful. Waiting is a violation of our sense of urgency. Waiting disrespects the value of our time.

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