Top 3 lessons this year

I haven’t posted in a long while.

I’ve been busy, and distracted.
Mostly, though I haven’t known how to put my thoughts down in any way that would be worth reading.
So, here’s an attempt to summarize the lessons I’ve been schooled in these last few months.

1. Patience

Over and over I keep being reminded of being patient. Patiently waiting on God. I want immediate results. Sometimes I think I need immediate results, something that will show me a glimmer that there’s good being done in what I do. I’ve been reading through the Gospel of John lately, and Philip Yancey’s book Reaching for the Invisible God. Every time I read from either one lately it seems I’m reminded of patience.

Just recently in a chapter of Yancey’s book I read this quote, “patience and hope are the substance of faith. Patience formed by a long memory of what God has done and hope that our faithfulness will prove worth the risk.” I like this. I will remember this when I’m feeling discouraged.

2. Cowardice

Jesus says often in the Gospels, “Fear not.” The apostle John writes “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear…” In other words, the cure to fear is not a change in circumstances, rather a deep grounding in the love of God.

I have found that lately I’ve been a coward. I do things out of fear rather than love. Fear of being found lacking. Fear of being unaccepted, not good enough. I’m afraid of discomfort, pain, uncertainty, and I’ve found myself angry and irritable as a result.

Daily I have to remind myself, even moment by moment I have to remind myself that my identity is found in Christ alone. I don’t want to be a coward.

3. Forgiveness

I’ve been tripping up on anger and bitterness not only toward a few who have hurt me, but towards myself. Things in life don’t go as we expect them. People don’t always behave as you want them to, and many times we don’t behave as we ought.

Jesus is clear that we must forgive. It’s hard to forgive though especially yourself.

"Daily I pray for God to melt my heart with his love. Transformation comes, in the end, not from an act of will, but an act of grace. We can only ask for it and keep asking.” Phillip Yancey, Reaching for the Invisible God