Giving the Gift of Time and Space to Grow

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?      Romans 2:4  NIV

    

    Forbearance requires slowing down to think.  It requires stepping into the shoes of another person to understand the challenges they are facing and to get a  glimpse of the pain that they feel.  We often want others to change or grow faster than they are changing or growing, without taking the time to understand the loss that change will bring to their lives or the obstacles that keep them from moving forward.

   The best way to open our hearts to let the Spirit grow forbearance in our lives is by reflecting on the forbearance that God has with us.  When you learn truth from Scripture, are you always instantly excited to change your life?  When God allows a difficult change to come into your life, do you always quickly embrace it?  The answer to both questions is clearly no.

    So whose shoes do you need to step into this week?  Are you expecting coworkers to adapt to your new idea as quickly as you?  Are you expecting your children to make better decisions than you did at their age?  Are you expecting your spouse to adjust to news that they just heard but that you known for weeks?

   This week, set aside some time to reflect, with God’s help, on a person with whom you have not been very forbearing.  What can you do to give them time and space to adjust and grow?  Are you praying for them or are you expecting them to change and grow without God’s help?  Ask God to help you discover one step that you can take this week to be more forbearing with this person.  Once you discover the step, ask the Holy Spirit to give you strength and wisdom to take it.

God's Life Flowing Through Us to the Hurting and Discouraged

 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. 

  Isaiah 42:3  NIV

    Jesus described the life that He gives through the Holy Spirit as "rivers of living water."   If we want to experience more of God’s goodness in our lives, we must understand that Jesus does not share His goodness just so we can consume it for ourselves.  He gives it so that we can enjoy it as it flows through us to others.   If your goal for wanting more of God’s love, joy and peace is to make your life easier or more comfortable, you will dry up.  If your desire is for God’s goodness to flow through you to bless others, you will experience God’s goodness more deeply than you expected or even imagined.

   Isaiah prophecies about Christ’s love for bruised people and people whose light is fading.  In other words, Jesus had compassion for hurting and discouraged people and He sought to bring them hope.  Authentic followers of Christ live with this same mission and compassion.  They step into the rivers of living waters and open their hearts to God's goodness knowing that God's life will give them joy as His life fills them and overflows to others for their encouragement and strength.

  Who are the people in your life with bruises or smoldering wicks?  How can you bring them encouragement and hope?  More specifically, how can you help them find encouragement  and hope in the message of Christ?  This week, ask God to lead you to a hurting or discouraged person and ask God to flow His goodness through you to them so they can find encouragement and hope in Him.