P6 Patience With Myself

ByJim Stephens

Reading: 2 Peter 1:5-8

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8 NLT)

I get so frustrated with myself! I’m impatient with myself because I’ve been on this faith journey with Jesus for a really long time now! It seems like I ought to be more mature, more like Jesus, less impatient, less critical, less judgmental of others, less self-focused, and more other-centered. Paul said he had learned not to judge others or even to judge himself but to let God do all the judging. He’s right. But I can’t help noticing my shortcomings, you know?

3 As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 4 My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. (1 Corinthians 4:3-4 NLT)

A few days ago, I noticed myself doing something that I consider progress, at least micro-progress! When I noticed myself withholding a remark (a totally unnecessary remark that would have been hurtful!) that I would normally have made to someone I love, I got really excited! And hopeful! I thanked God for it, and I asked God for Grace to do things like that more often!

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:1-2 NLT)

God loves us just as we are, not just as we ought to be, because we’ll never be just as we ought to be. – Brennan Manning

Prayer:

Father, We trust your judgement, so we’re going to eliminate both self-justification and self-condemnation from our minds and hearts. As you have been patient with us, so we will be patient with others and with ourselves. By your Grace! Amen!