Endurance and Patience part 3
I tried pretty much all day today before writing this Rant to think of a situation in my life where I made a rash decision and it made things better. But I couldn't do it. And, listen, some things are no brainers. If someone needs help... you help them. But that's not what I mean by rash. I mean a snap, emotional response. Because most of the time our first reaction is defensive. Fight or flight, right? Something happens and we either flee, or lash out. And that usually makes things worse. Which is why I've adopted the practice of giving immediate second chances. This works pretty well with my son, but it can certainly annoy people too. He'll do something and I'll say, "Wait. Try again." Or, "Think again." "Start over." Because I think that initial response sometimes needs a minute to turn into a rational response. So what I'm trying to do is be patient, and not respond to that first response. I'm trying to endure that initial reaction, and then redirect the situation into something more positive. Something that will help instead of hurting. And believe me, that can be hard. Enduring that initial reponse... we get hit and we want to either flee or hit back. Turning the other cheek is not what we think of as the "natural reaction." But here's where I want to get to in this Rant Series: Our natural reaction comes from our nature. And we have a new nature. So we have a new "natural reaction." Not "an eye for an eye." Not, "he hit me so I'm going to hit him back." Our new nature is the love nature. So our TRUE natural reaction is to love people no matter what. To endure what they're doing. To be patient with them. And to love them BY enduring and being patient. Those are two of love's (in my opinion) best qualities. Now look at Hebrews 10:36 (NLT), "Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised." And notice that this is not a works and labor statement. This is not, "If you patiently endure, and continue to do God's will, then you will get all the he has promised you." Because the verse doesn't SAY "get." It says "RECEIVE." And its not telling us "do this then this will happen." It is telling us HOW to RECEIVE what was promised. We've already been given what was promised. We don't need to--and can't--earn it. But we must receive it. By doing God's will. Because God's will is for us to love each other. And we can't love each other without patiently enduring each other. And, by the way, "all that he has promised you" is His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life. A life of love. Living BY loving. Because that's what life is. That's what LOVE is. Living and loving aren't just connected. They are the same thing. Life changes on a moment to moment basis. So love needs to be flexible. Two of those building blocks are... endurance and patience. Love doesn't just TAKE endurance and patience. Love IS endurance and patience. Not that first blush, emotional response. (And I'm not saying emotions are bad. I always say, "Feel what you feel. Just don't let it control you.) But that kind, gentle love that helps instead of hurting!