Patience and Pride

If you ask my wife, she will say that I’m very patient with people. That’s a good thing, I guess, but I’m not patient while waiting, and waiting is the hard part. I know that we must wait for God’s timing and do our best not to rush things. I mean, if we look at history, rushing into something that God promised has never worked out. It’s always best to wait for His timing. 

I’m working on it. I know that in His presence, the only time I have is the present. John C. Maxwell stated, “Having a purpose gives us the power to live in the present.” I’d like to add that living in His purpose gives us the power to live in His presence. I know in the still quiet hours of the morning. I can really connect with Him. This is when I do my best writing. It’s when His Spirit is working in me, when there's no one but He and I. The connection is real and raw. 

However, there are times when I feel like wanting to do what I want to do. I’m not perfect. I am a work in progress. Pride is where I fall short of His glory, so I pray that I continually be in His Spirit. But, there are mornings when the bed is unusually comfortable, it’s too cold to get out from under the blankets, the list goes on. I am learning that in these times I must remember the words of Jesus to deny self, pick up the cross, and follow Him.

In our walk with Jesus, we must seek Him first, leaving our wants and desires behind and letting His will be done. We need to be willing to give up everything for His sake, even our own lives. I hear people say they would die for Jesus. Unfortunately, it’s the same people who won’t even live for Him. We need to follow Jesus wherever he leads us. Most of the time, that means leaving our comfort zones and getting our hands dirty helping those in need.

The good news is Jesus does not expect us to do it on our own. That’s why He sent His Spirit to help us live out the lives He has called us to live. That leads me back to the mornings I spend alone with God. I can’t explain it, but I know that He is working in me when I write. Sure, I can’t say it’s all God, if so, it would be perfect. I know my part is to be obedient to what He says and praise Him for using me to bring encouragement to my readers. Paul says that though I put in the work, it is by the grace of God that I am who I am. Praise the Lord, that He uses people just like me, and just like you, to do His kingdom work.

Carey McKinney

A Dose of Light in a World of Darkness