Go and make “disciples”

There are two “sending” statements in the New Testament, directly from Jesus, that applies to every single born-again Christian. Sure, He sent out the disciples… He sent out the 72… but twice… He’s sending US out.

The first of these statements I believe would be from Acts:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8

We are to “witness” or to “testify” the Good News. He told us to plant these seeds in abundance… don’t worry about the soil you plant it… just keep planting and leave the germination to God.

However, once God has drawn them in… and made them a believer… we’re once again called into action. Once God has brought the believer to the table… it’s our job to make them a disciple.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

Being a non-believer is your default position for humanity… we’re all born there. At some point in our lives, we feel the tug from God and respond. That moment we respond to Him… accept His punishment for our sins… we are saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit. That’s ONE moment in time. From that moment forward, we are called to grow our relationship with Him… by witnessing His Good News… and raising up disciples.

The command to Go and make disciples, starts with ourselves. Are WE a disciple or a bench warmer. To be a disciple means daily disciplines to be in the Word. To be a disciple means serving and loving His flock. To be a disciple means striving every day to be just a little more like Jesus… and that ONLY happens by relying on self… less… and the Spirit, more.

The moment you are a born-again Christian… Acts 1:8 is your command… to go and be His witnesses. Testify what the Lord has done for you and proclaim His good news. But the second call, to make disciples… assumes you are already a disciple. This means YOU are the first mission field. As they say in every flight during the safety briefing… put your O2 mask on first, and then assist others.

If you’re not “breathing in” the very Word of God… then the first disciple you need to make… is yourself. Once you are regularly breathing in His word… then you are able to help others do the same.

Affirming and Supporting is not always Loving

We’ve all heard the old argument… a child claims the “everybody is doing it” argument and the parent responds with “if everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?”

Today, our culture… driven by media and agenda driven “educators” is pushing for a different response. They are constantly saying that we as parents need to be more “affirming” or “supportive” of our kids. It’s absolutely true that affirming and supporting them gives them courage to move forward, knowing you’re there to back them up.

But the problem is… THEY ARE KIDS!!!!

Science has proven that the human brain is not done developing until typically around 25 years of age (with less than 2 years margin of error either direction). Case in point is the sheer number of child injuries and deaths because of kids attempting some stupid TikTok challenge. Their brains are not developed enough to a point to see the dangers in what they’re doing.

Car rental companies are about the only industry left that understands this… so they don’t see it as smart business to lend a $50k automobile to someone who’s brain is not fully developed.

Other industries have softened that age a little. Alcohol and guns (in most states) require age 21 and almost everything else from signing legal contracts to voting require you to be 18 and driving requires 16 in most states.

Just about everywhere we look in society, we recognize that kids from 0 to 16 are not fully ready to use their brain for serious decision making. Our job as parents is to continue to guide them through those 16-18 years… so they develop their brains in a healthy manner.

So, as a parent, we KNOW that our kids will not always make smart decisions. So… when they make dumb decisions… if we were to support and affirm their dumb decision, then we give them courage to move forward when moving forward is not the right thing to do, or worse… it’s a dangerous path to be on.

Back to the jumping off the bridge example. If moving forward is a poor decision, then “affirming” or “supporting” them is the exact opposite of love. Sometimes… (and often as a parent)… being “loving” means making an unpopular decision… one that protects them from their poor decisions from an undeveloped brain.

Any teens still reading this? Then congratulations, you’re ahead of the curve. Now… I’m not saying you are dumb or stupid by the decisions you make… full grown adults… very smart and wise and experienced adults… still make dumb and stupid decisions. You are not alone in this category. I’m merely pointing out that your brain is still developing and relying on someone who truly has your best interest at heart… who truly wants to see you grow into an amazing person who contributes to society… that person REALLY wants to help you grow well.

So to those media types and agenda driven “educators”…

Stop telling us to “affirm” and “support” our children regardless of their decisions. We are called to coach them, to teach them… when their decisions are pointing them in the right directly, we will ABSOLUTELY support and affirm them… But when they are making decisions that are simply not healthy, not safe, not smart, or in defiance of the moral character we’re raising them to have… then we will absolutely NOT affirm or support those decisions.

Signed…. every smart and loving parent ever…

Perspective

The whole “glass 1/2 full” or “glass 1/2 empty” is an analogy that dates further back then any of us can imagine. You would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of some version of this concept. In general they say if you are more optimistic you will say it’s “1/2 full” yet if you are more pessimistic, you will way it’s “1/2 empty”. But I want to say there’s more to this than meets the eye.

It’s really not as simple as that. In addition to seeing the current condition of the glass, you also need to know what the objective is. For example… when I had to drink that nasty drink before a procedure (that everyone over 50 is aware of), my goal was to get that glass empty. And when I was half way done… I could either say, “Are you kidding me, the glass is only 1/2 empty”… or “Are you kidding me, the glass is still 1/2 full”… both of those statements are certainly both more pessimistic. You see… adding the word “only” or “still” can change the perspective… depending on the goal.

Why do I point this out… because the same can be said about the trials and tribulations we have in life. Jesus said,” I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) It is a simple fact that each and every one of us WILL HAVE TRIBULATION. Anyone who tells you differently, is spreading a lie straight from Satan.

We should never be surprised that we face trials. However, we all face different trials, with different levels of difficulty. These trials did not come as a surprise to Christ… and He is fully aware of what you can handle. Remember, Paul said, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

But our perspective as we face those trials, changes everything. I’ve met people who experience very similar disasters or tribulations and yet have a completely different perspective in it… and end up in completely differently places after. It comes down to having a victim or a victor mentality.

I’m not suggesting a “pick yourself up by your bootstraps and move on” sort of thing… In the middle of the trial, there are real emotions, potential loss or damage that needs to be addressed and worked on. But eventually, you will either choose to use that life experience as an excuse for poor choices… or as a learning experience to grow.

If you find yourself using your past as an excuse for current poor choices, then you’ve really missed the most important part of the experience you went through. It’s true that God never lets you be tempted by more than you can handle… but He also never meant for you to handle it on your own.

Your bad experiences, your trials and challenges… can either be the reason you use as excuses for poor choices and bad decisions… or the reason you grow as God intended. Grow from your mistakes and tribulations, continue to turn to Him in all things, because He never intended for you to carry it on your own. Paul also said, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Find your strength in Him.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?

This line of thinking… “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”… probably has a legitimate original source, but it’s been attributed to so many people over the years, I’m not really sure who said it first.

Well, if you’re looking at your budget on where to properly invest your home improvement budget, fixing things that aren’t broken might be a waste of money. To be a good steward of the funds God has given you, you’re more likely to invest those funds where they might have the largest impact… fixing or replacing things that are actually broken.

Unfortunately, this same line of thinking, often gets applied to relationships… most importantly, the marriage relationship. There are other similar lines of thinking that are typically part of some punch line. Things like, “I told you I loved you when we got married… if it ever changes I’ll let you know.” Perhaps not the most romantic, or effective way of thinking, when it comes to your marriage.

The fact is, if you value something, then it’s worth investing in. Another funny saying that might fit better… is one that I saw posted in a kids bathroom. This little sign said, “Only brush the teeth you want to keep”. Obviously you want to keep them all so they all warrant a little, TLC… a little maintenance to keep them in tip top condition.

Your marriage is the most important relationship on the planet. Your kids may be a close second… but they still are second (sorry kids). So, when it comes to making smart decisions on investing into things that are meant to last… there’s no better investment than investing in your marriage.

Don’t wait for your marriage to be broken… start investing in it today. And there are a thousand different ways to invest in your marriage… but here is a short list of great marriage investment choices that pack a great return on investment.

  1. Learn your spouse’s Love Language. You may THINK you’re telling your spouse that you love them… but if you’re speaking the wrong language, the message may not be received.
  2. Plan date nights. Schedule time to be away from kids, away from distractions, no alternative agenda… just the two of you hanging out. This can be as simple as game night with all the kids gone and electronics turned off… or it can be special get away… but be intentional about your time together. Don’t worry… all that stuff you have to ignore for that time being… will still be there when you return… but if you ignore your spouse… they may not be there when you return.
  3. Grow your knowledge. Find a marriage seminar, a marriage book or some other retreat where you guys can literally grow together. Growing your knowledge base together is a great way to grow closer together.
  4. Lean on other’s experience. No matter what you’re going through, there’s someone out there who’s been through something similar and made it out the other side. Be willing to be vulnerable with another couple… or a marriage counselor. Seeking advice and guidance on your marriage is not a sign of weakness… it’s evidence that you value the relationship above all else.

Put off the old self

Paul is a very visual teacher, something he learned well from Jesus and perhaps Ananias and Barnabas as they each poured into Saul the Ravager during his conversion to Paul the Apostle. It makes sense… it’s much easier to visualize a spiritual truth when you connect it to a tangible and tactile visual experience.

This is why Parables and analogies are so powerful because the help illustrate in your mind, something that may be a little more difficult to grasp. And let’s face it, even for those of us who are born-again, with the very Spirit of God dwelling inside of us… we still can grapple with some texts as to what they really mean.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he teaches so much about how we ought to live out our born again lives, in this broken world. He’s frustrated that many new and young Christians were falling back into their worldly ways. There are some false teachers out there that will attack Christians who “fall back” into worldly ways and accuse them of either having lost their salvation (which is completely unbiblical) or perhaps telling them they were never saved to begin with. This kind of guilt treatment is horrible and wrong. I’m not saying that calling out a Christian brother or sister for their worldly actions is wrong… we ABSOLUTELY should be doing this… but there’s a right way and a wrong way… and Paul gives us the example of the right way in Ephesians 4.

After pointing out their worldly acts… he says “But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Eph 4:20-21). But he doesn’t stop there at the call out… he reminds them of a really important spiritual truth we all need to remember… and he does it with a visual as simply as changing your clothes.

He says, “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:22-24)

While many well meaning, good-intentioned Christians will point out that receiving the Spirit was a once and permanent thing… and they are right… Paul is not suggesting actions to “receive the Spirit” again and again. You receive Him once at the moment of salvation. But that Spirit is still dwelling in a sinful human who is living in a broken world. The ‘garment’ we wear from birth is our flesh. We will not be fully rid of this ‘garment of flesh’ until we are with Jesus in Heaven.

Until then, this ‘garment’ hangs around our wardrobe like a favorite piece of clothing that is beyond its life. Despite it looking ragged and worn, we keep putting it back on. Paul is remind the Ephesians (and us) that we need to “continue to” or to “keep” putting off this old garment. This is something that takes repetition, and discipline. It takes good solid Christian friends who love you and are willing to remind you that you’re wearing that old “flesh garment” again.

And why do we keep putting it back on, probably for the same reasons these “fashion models” are paying extra money to wear “old looking” clothes. We’ve convinced ourselves that it’s us… it’s a statement… it’s comfortable… it’s just who I am, etc.

But our “old self” is “corrupt through deceitful desires” and our “new self” has been “created after the likeness of God.”

If you’re a born-again Christians and you’re like any other born-again Christian I’ve ever met in my life… you still have that “old self” hanging around in your wardrobe. I can’t give you the answer on how to get rid of it… because that won’t happen this side of Heaven. But I can be that friend, like Paul, reminding you to keep taking that old self off, and putting the new self back on. Trust me… you look way better in the new self.

A Prejudice Perspective

Before typing this post, I glanced back to see how often I have written on perspective in this blog. There were several and they were all different… not having a different perspective, but a different way I see perspective impacting our lives. Today, I want to take a look at perspective from the point of our own prejudices… and not the way you’re probably thinking. This is not about WOKE or race or gender or any other commonly discussed prejudice we may have. What I want to focus on today, is the raw and basic prejudice we all have… meaning we have pre-conceived idea in our mind and that idea impacts how we judge a particular moment in time.

The real aspect I want to focus on is the fact that we see what we’re looking for. I’ll give you an example but this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Once you either buy a car or start researching it to potentially own it… it seems like you suddenly see that car everywhere. Before it felt like there weren’t that many around but suddenly it’s the most common car in your daily commute. Now that you’re looking for that car, you see it WAY more often than you used to.

Every time we walk into a new situation, our minds begin to form an expectation of what we will experience. Depending on your set of circumstances, multiple people can walk into the same room and will observe completely different thing and have a totally different experience. Our mind is preparing us for the experience and the only way it can prepare us is based on the information it has. It’s why cops need to have so many different eye witnesses to something. They have to compare the stories to find common threads, which help them unpack the real story.

Take walking into a brand new church for the first time. I’ll describe the experience and then describe two different people having that experience… and you’ll begin to see what I’m talking about.

The visitor arrives on the property and sees a couple people directing cars in the parking lot. They then walk towards the building and are greeted by a couple people at the door, one just smiling and saying hi while the other hands the new visitor a welcome brochure about the church. The visitor engages in a little small talk as they make their way to the coffee bar for some morning caffeine. They continue into the larger room that says “sanctuary” above the door and are met with another person handing them yet another piece of paper, this time it’s the message notes. They head to an empty seat and the person in the seat in front of them turns around to say hi.

Now think of two different people with that experience. Person A is someone who is very familiar with church, they’ve been a long term member of another church and were very active in many volunteer roles, including greeter. They’re new in to town and impressed at the quality greeting taking place and feel instantly welcome and even pretty sure where they will volunteer to serve soon.

However, person B has never been to church. They’ve been going through a really rough time and heard they could maybe find answers at the local church. Every greeting made them feel a little more insecure, like they obviously stand out as new, an outsider. They just want to quietly sneak in but are greeted five times by the time they get to their seat. They’re uncomfortable and nervous and are telling themselves, “I knew I shouldn’t have come here this morning, now I’m trapped for the whole thing so I don’t stand out more by leaving early”.

The point is, the person’s past experiences and expectations can shape the impression, even though the experiences were identical. The problem is, this is our whole life. Every time we embark on something new, our brain is creating a narrative (based on our own experiences and expectations) of what we will experience… entering that new venture with a positive and open mind can allow you to have a great experience, whereas starting off the day expecting issues and problems… and you find exactly that, issues and problems.

Again, we will always see what we want to see. Jesus explained our ability to truly know Him is based on the same thing. In the sermon on the mount, right after talking about not judging others, Jesus says…

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. – Matt 7:7-8

Jesus says you will find what you seek. It works for the person walking into a room full of strangers (they’ll either find new friends or anxiety) and it works for those looking into this Jesus thing. Someone trying to prove its all made up and fairytales, will find things that enhance that view… While others truly seeking answers and open to answers that are not what they expect, will find spiritual truth.

What are you looking for? Going into a new job, new church, new school, new environment… have you set yourself up for a good experience or a poor one. God is not surprised at your new set of circumstances, in fact… he may have even orchestrated them. So embrace where God has brought you, expect something amazing, ask to be guided by His spirit to remain in His good and perfect will… and you will find exactly what He has in store for you.

How to admonish broken people

Before getting into this blog, it’s important to understand the word admonish. It’s not a heavily used word but it’s a word that Christians are CALLED to do. The Greek word is noutheteō and it is a “gentle caution”. In order to understand how to apply a “gentle caution” I want you to think of the yellow caution signs on the road. They are warnings but you can’t get a ticket for disobeying them.

If the white speed limit sign says 45, that is the official speed limit. When you come to a curve that has a yellow 35 mph sign, this is a gentle warning that the road conditions ahead warrant you slowing down. However, if you fail to slow down, you can not get a ticket for violating the yellow sign. It’s important to understand the “gentle” part of admonish because all too often, we Christians will seek to correct each other but we don’t do it gently.

To be a Christian does not require you have full and complete understanding of all biblical truth. It does not require that you fully surrender in everything you do, say and believe, to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. To be saved is simple and instant…

“if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

That salvation is instant and you receive the Holy Spirit as a result. One of His jobs is to continue to help you better understand biblical truth… but that doesn’t happen right away… it can take a lifetime. As a result of this (instantly saved and slowly changed), we can have born again saved Christians who are all over the map with their beliefs. Our job as Christians is to work hard at truly surrendering to His guidance, His prompting, His changing and correcting of our thoughts and ideas. Our job as Christians who have been changed by the Spirit… is to admonish one another, again… to “gently caution” each other towards these changes.

I set that stage to say that as a born again believer, we shouldn’t say you can’t be saved and be pro-choice. We absolutely can say that scripture doesn’t support a pro-choice view… that’s a simple fact… but because of the process I just explained above… you CAN be saved and still be hanging on to some of your worldly views that aren’t supported by scripture.

It’s important to understand that, in order to truly be able to “admonish” one another. This does not mean brow beat one another, it does not mean call each other names, it does not mean question each other’s salvation… It means we “gently caution” one another to fully surrender to the guidance of the Spirit.

Our nation is deeply divided because of poor politics and outdated science. But when we have lived under a law of the land for half a century, many people (including born again Christians) will be confused by this.

Scripture does not call us to be militant. It does not call us to yell and scream at people, it does not call us to claim others who don’t fully see the truth are somehow unsaved. Scripture calls us to admonish. This is ONLY done in love, it is gentle, it is caring and it must be Spirit led.

Nobody is going to change their mind to your way of thinking because you yell and scream at them and call them names. The only way to help them see the light… is to be the light. Love them, care for them, pray for them…

Only the Spirit can truly get them to fully surrender.

Truth Focused or Agenda Driven

The pendulum is always swinging and the more it swings in one direction, the more momentum it builds for the return trip.

Starting about 5 or 6 decades ago, the pendulum began to move from the pursuit of truth to being driven by an agenda. We’ve seen this swing become highly visible in two areas of our life; Science and Religion

The scientific process has never changed.

  1. Observe something in nature
  2. Hypothesize the cause or purpose of what is observed
  3. Develop a theory based on the hypothesis
  4. Test the theory

The magic is in that fourth step. You see the true scientific process means that to really test a theory, you try everything to disprove the theory. This means you intentionally set out to prove yourself wrong. And it’s not approved science until other peers have also tried to prove you wrong.

Once all available options to prove the thing wrong have failed, then we have a scientific law. The Law of Gravity, the Law of Thermodynamics, the Law of Relativity… wait, what… “relativity” is actually not a “law”, it’s still only a theory. There are still holes in the theory so it’s not classified as a law.

“Science” today, no longer uses the same formula. Science today starts with a theory and searches for data to “prove” the theory. Wrather than trying to prove themselves wrong, they seek to prove themselves right, discounting much of the data that might dispute their theory.

Again, this is not all scientists… but the momentum has shifted that this has become what is most widely discussed in today’s media.

We’ve seen the same shift in religion. The method used to seek the truth from the Bible is called “exegesis”, literally to “draw out” of the text. But again, over the last 5 to 6 decades, more people have approached the Bible with “eisegesis” which means to put in. This eisegesis method goes something like this.

  1. Have an opinion of a truth
  2. Search scripture for text that might possibly support your opinion
  3. Use various scripture out of context to “validate” your opinion as scriptural
  4. Preach this opinion as something from the Bible.

This method will do nothing to grow your knowledge or understand of scripture, it will only serve to convince you that your opinion is biblically based, which could very well be totally wrong.

The proper (and really only correct) way to approach the text is with exegesis.

  1. Read the text.
  2. Observe the words IN CONTEXT.
    • Even use tools available for free online to look into the meaning of the original words in Greek or Hebrew
    • Use commentaries or study bibles that help explain what the text actually meant to the people originally hearing it.
    • In other words – Understand what the text meant then
  3. Analyze the meaning by spending time in prayer, asking the Spirit to help you discern why this particular text was preserved for thousands of years.
    • Plenty of text was destroyed, but these 66 books were preserved for thousands of years – for a reason – on purpose.
    • Why is it important and valuable for us to know this today?
  4. Determine the application – what are you going to do about this text? How are you going to let this text impact your life?

There you have it… if you look back at that list, it forms an acronym.

And this is the ROAD map to studying your scripture when you’re focused on truth.

Fruit of the Spirit – Kindness

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23

Although I hold to a view that man is naturally depraved and left without the Spirit, we will succumb to our temptations and fail, I also believe that at some point and at some level, we are all capable of some level of kindness – doing thoughtful deeds for others. So simply doing a kind thing for someone is not evidence of the Spirit. The kindness aspect of the fruit means more than that… it’s bigger than that.

The kindness we are most familiar with, is the kind of thing you kids might do for your mom on Mother’s Day or her birthday (that’s coming up by the way). It would be wonderful and kind to be on your best behavior, make her a card or something that says how much you love her. Do extra tasks and chores to take things off her plate for the day, like clean the house, make a meal, etc. These are wonderful and kind things to do and she would value them very much.

But as kind and wonderful as those things are, they are not the kind of kindness that is talked about with the Fruit of the Spirit. Because you could argue that mom actually deserves those things, that all the things she has done and continues to do for you guys, somehow earns her the right to receive that kindness from you. And this is true, she does deserve it. But showing kindness to someone who deserves it, or someone who has shown you kindness… while this kindness is a wonderful thing to do, it’s not born of the Spirit.

The kind if kindness talked about coming from the Spirit is undeserved kindness and is demonstrated by God Himself. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:4-5)

We deserve wrath and judgement because of our sin, but out of His Kindness, God gives us a way to be saved from our own sin, saved from the final judgement that awaits us all. By His own Son, taking the punishment we all deserved, He paved a way for us to return to unity with Him. If we would simply accept His free gift of grace, repent of our sins, confess that Jesus is in fact Lord of our life and believe totally in our heart that God raised Him from the dead… then we are saved and our name is written in the book of life.

So don’t ever stop doing those wonderful acts of kindness to those you love, it’s a simple and beautiful way to demonstrate the love you have for them. But Spirit level kindness is doing those things for someone who perhaps doesn’t deserve it. It’s a way to allow the love of God to flow through you onto others.

Fruit of the Spirit – Patience

It is healthy and good to pray for and ask God to give you all of these characteristics, but for some reason, every time someone mentions praying for patience, everyone else around them goes into a panic. They seem to actually fear the idea of praying for patience, perhaps because they know that we grow in these characteristics by being tested and stretched. The kinds of tests that are needed to help you build patience, by definition, will stretch and challenge your patience. The other thing to consider is that there’s another side of the coin when it comes to patience. The word makrothymia, is typically translated to patience, but it can also be translated as longsuffering. Merriam-Webster actually says patience is “the ability to wait for a long time without becoming annoyed or upset.” So you can begin to see why many people may be a little bit leery to pray for this kind of suffering. However, patience is part of the fruit of the spirit… perhaps because it is nearly impossible to have true patience without the spirit.

Patience does come in many forms, and we all have more patience for certain things and less patience for others. So simply enduring something without getting upset is not the kind of patience represented by the Fruit of the Spirit. It would only be considered patience if the thing you are ‘enduring’ is something that would typically cause you to become annoyed or upset. In other words, patience is relative, and it is personal. Something that might cause you to become annoyed or upset and requires patience on your part, may be totally natural for another person, requiring zero patience to ‘endure’.

As with any of these characteristics of the fruit of the spirit, you can get a great frame of reference when you think about how Jesus demonstrated that particular element of the fruit. God has unimaginable patience with us. We continue to blow it time and time again, and he doesn’t anger. Perhaps the best example of Jesus’ patience being tested can be found in Matthew 17, “And Jesus answered, ‘O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.’” (Matthew 17:17) Jesus demonstrated significant patience with His disciples as they continued to not understand His teaching. He followed up this statement by telling them if their faith was even the size of a mustard seed, then “nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20b)

Patience is not simply the absence of getting annoyed since some situations annoy one person and not the other. Patience is being in the moment that would really annoy you, yet you rely on the strength of the Spirit inside you to remain calm and not get angry. It also means that any moment that gets you angry or deeply annoyed, is a moment for you to reflect on patience and pray to Him for more of it in that moment.