Be Patient.....With One Another

I have a problem. Actually, you have it too. Well, at least, I’m guessing you have this problem. Most people do.

What problem? Well, it’s kind of embarrassing to tell you, but here it is: I have this tendency to see other people’s faults while ignoring my own.

You too? That’s what I thought.

We all have faults. I do. You do. We all do. But our tendency is to quickly see the faults in others while we conveniently ignore our own faults. Some people are quite gifted at this.

A boss commented to his secretary about one of his men: "Harry has such a bad memory, it's a wonder he remembers to breathe. I asked him to pick up a newspaper on his way back from lunch, but I'm not ever sure he'll remember his way back to the office." Just then Harry burst in the door, brimming with enthusiasm.

He exclaimed, "Guess what, boss! At lunch I ran into old man Jones who hasn't given us an order in seven years. Before he left I talked him into a million-dollar contract!"

The boss sighed and looked at his secretary, "What did I tell you? He forgot the newspaper."

Let’s see this from another perspective.

A speaker held up a blank sheet of paper and asked, "What do you see?"

The reply was, "A piece of paper."

He then placed the paper on the podium, made a tiny dot in the center and held it up again. "What do you see now?"

"A dot," was the unanimous reply from the audience.

"Imagine this blank paper is a person," the speaker said. "The small dot you saw is his/her biggest fault. The white surrounding the dot represents all of this person's worthwhile qualities which we so easily fail to see. Often a fault seems bigger than it really is and we allow it to overshadow the many positive aspects of that person's personality."

We all have different backgrounds and we’re all wired in a unique way. No two people are alike - not even identical twins. That’s why we need patience with one another. God created each of us with different shapes, assigning each of us a different mission in life.

Here’s what the Bible says: Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. (Ephesians 4:2b NLT)

Let me encourage you to look beyond people’s faults. Sure, they have ‘em, and so do you. Try and overlook theirs as easily as you overlook yours. No, it won’t be easy. After all, we’ve become pretty good at finding faults in others while overlooking our own. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Right?

Go Ahead, Take a Risk!

Today I want to encourage you to take a risk. In this culture? Yep. In this economy? Sure. Why would I want to do such a crazy thing? Because you’ll never know if you don’t try.

Let me tell you about a young lady I recently met. She was getting ready to begin her final year of college in preparation for the classroom. She had studied and prepared and was headed toward her goal of being a teacher. But something just didn’t feel right.

Oh, she had done well in her college course work. She had worked hard in preparation for her student teaching assignment. She had listened to and received the encouragement of family and friends who told her that she was on the right track and that she would make a great teacher. But something didn’t settle in her heart.

She had spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in preparation. All that was left was 2 semesters; one in student teaching, the other in the classroom. She would then graduate and be on her way to seeking a teaching position in the fall of 2010. But she just couldn’t shake that uneasiness inside her heart.

She had to do something.

So she took a risk. She made a decision that she would no longer pursue the goal that she had originally set out on. Instead, she made some changes in her focus, in her goals and in her classes. Today, she’s on a different course and is more excited and fulfilled than she’s been for a long, long time. She reached for the brass ring of her dream and she’s pursuing it 110%. She has peace in her heart and a whole new direction and outlook on life. She’s excited! And I’m proud of her!

But not everyone else is excited with her. No, that would be too easy, wouldn’t it? She faced criticism from all sides. Arguments were presented to her as to why her decision was foolish. She was repeatedly challenged to reconsider her decision. Even my first inclination was, "Wow! That takes guts!" She stood her ground.

She took a risk.

What is it that you would like to do that would require you to take a risk? Look into another career? Ask out that girl you’ve had your eye on for quite some time, but have been hesitant to ask? Go back to school and finish that degree you’ve always wanted? What risk do you need to take?

See, friends, life is too short to play everything safe. If you do what you’ve always done you’ll get what you always got. Poor English, but true.

I love this quote: "Until you spread your wings, you’ll have no idea how far you can fly."

What risk do you need to take? If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you attempt? Here’s what God said to Joshua in the Old Testament:

Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't be afraid, because the LORD your God will be with you everywhere you go. (Joshua 1:9)

I challenge you to take a risk. You could fail, but you might succeed. Listen to what God is whispering in your heart......and then go for it!

I leave you with The Lion Chaser’s Manifesto, written by Mark Batterson.

　

Lion Chaser’s Manifesto

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God_sized goals. Pursue God_ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future.

Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life.

Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks.

Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion!

(From Mark Batterson’s book: "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day")

A Safety Net of People

We’ve had a beautiful weekend here in southern Iowa, but it’s been a tough few days. A dear friend passed away on Friday, and a child who had battled health issues since birth entered eternity as well.

As a pastor I often see situations that nobody should ever have to go through alone. No one should ever have to wait in the hospital while a loved one is in life-or-death surgery. No woman should ever have to wait alone for the lab report on a problem pregnancy or an abnormal breast exam. No one should ever have to wait for news from a battlefield alone. Nobody should ever have to stand at the edge of an open grave alone. Nobody should ever have to spend the first night alone when their spouse has just walked out. And no one should ever be alone having just lost a loved one.

Life’s tough times and tragedies are inevitable – each of us will face them. But we don’t need to go through them alone. Let me remind you of God’s promise.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. This is because I, the LORD, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:2 & 3)

That’s a great promise. But let’s get down to the nitty-gritty for a moment. The promise of God’s presence is truly wonderful......but we still want someone "with skin on", too, don’t we? And truly, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

See, God knew we’d want that too, which He designed us for relationships. Have you ever wondered why people who live a reclusive lifestyle tend to be a bit "strange"? It’s because their lives are lacking relationships. We were wired for relationships.

Those relationships become even more important when we find ourselves going through difficult times. Face it, we need each other! That’s why the Bible gives us some instructions:

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15)

The first part of that verse is easy. When something good happens to someone, it’s often easy to join in on the party. But when someone is having a tough time, it can seem more difficult. But really, it’s simple. When you’re going through a crisis, you don’t want advice; you just want somebody to be there – to sit with you, hold your hand, put an arm around your shoulder, or cry with you.

Here’s another verse:

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

As a pastor I've spend many hours in waiting rooms, hospital rooms and funeral homes. Years ago I would worry about having "the right thing" to say. But here's what I've learned: encouraging someone else doesn’t always mean giving a pep talk or words of wisdom. Sometimes the best kind of encouragement is just sitting in silence – waiting and weeping with a friend.

I hope you have a safety net of people and relationships that you know you can count on in life’s toughest times. If not, let me encourage you to go out today and begin building those friendships. The hard times in life are inevitable and you don’t want to find yourself going through difficulty alone.