PATIENCE IS BETTER THAN PRIDE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Patience is better than pride.

Ecclesiastes 7:8b

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Patience is better than pride. That’s the message the Lord wants us to receive today.

This should come as no surprise to anyone, that the Lord would tout the virtues of patience. After all, it is a fruit of the Spirit in company with love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23), characteristics we should all be striving for as believers.

Note the striking contrast between someone who is patient and someone who is prideful.

The patient person who allows the Lord to sow and harvest the fruits of patience in their hearts, minds, and souls learns the importance of waiting, waiting for the Lord to move and guide and work in perfect ways that only He can.

Conversely, the prideful person is impulsive and always in a state of agitation. Waiting is wasting and they choose to act when they want to, in their time and in their way. They want to be in control and dictate their world and everything in it.

Two very different approaches to living. Two approaches that will at one time or another war against each other inside us.

So how do we ward off the sinful nature of pride? How can we adopt life processes that will drive us toward patience?

Let’s go to the scriptures for some answers and specifically in the Psalms.

1. In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

How do you start your day? Do you get up, get ready, and rush out the door to work or to start a schedule of events?

As we read this word of God, we find the Psalmist starting their day with prayer, laying their requests before the Lord who hears their voice. Note the psalmist didn’t wait until the end of the day to come before the Lord but instead starts his day before the One who provided Him with it. The Lord gets the first priority as He is the One who makes all other things possible. We should come before them with thanksgiving, petition, confession, and intercession before we do anything else and then go into our day waiting expectantly for Him to work in regard to our prayers.

Patience is just one great byproduct we gain from the power of prayer.

2. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7a

Once we give our requests to the Lord, we are to wait and wait patiently. He hears our petitions and he is always working things for the good of those who love Him. Trust this and all other promises that the Lord has given. Be still, don’t be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6-7), and allow the Lord to work in whatever situation you are going through.

3. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

While we’re waiting patiently, we should do so with the strength and power that He brings, a strength and power that allows us to do all things (Philippians 4:13). Ask yourself, “Is there anything beyond the work of the Lord?” and then take heart and hold trust in the truth that He can do all things.

4. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20

Friends, what a peace, comfort, and assurance we have in knowing the Lord is ever with us. It’s because of this that we need not fear, no matter what life might bring our way. He is our hope, now and forever for no one can do what He can do, no one can help like he can, and no one protects us like He does.

Knowing this, why would we ever rely on pridefully rely on ourselves?

There’s no doubt, and the scriptures affirm this, that patience is better.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com