Living Beyond... Myself

Patience

Tonight's Beth Moore video was about patience.  I can always judge my listening skills and conviction based on how much white space I fill in on my viewer guide!  Tonight was GOOD!

There are 2 kinds of patience...

1. patience in circumstances inspired by hope.

Hope inspires endurance in seemingly impossible circumstances. Hope is a positive outlook toward and expected end.  Not just blind "hope" that could be exchanged for the word "wish".  You truly believe that the thing you desire will happen.

2. patience with people inspired by mercy
This type of patience is impossible except when expressed by God through us. It is much more difficult to endure a difficult person than a difficult circumstance. Delaying of judgement - we cannot both judge others & be patient with them. God is the judge.... not me... more on that later.

We were called to deal with frustrating people to refine us. (good!  then we can acknowledge to God that we need help)
They bring out the worst in us.
They keep us from thinking too highly of ourselves.
They keep our pretenses from working (we can't pretend anymore)

Other tid-bits...

• Patience can be what we don't do... holding back... or what we do... putting up with.
• We know we are growing when God makes us different in the same, old, crappy conflict.
• Conflict + commitment prompts change
• Convenience never produces character.
• The practice of patience helps complete something lacking in us.
• 2 Corinthians 4:10-12... In any give relationship demanding patience, God could be working LIFE (salvation) in one person and DEATH (of impurities, habits...) in the other.

Judgment... Why we must not judge others...
(Romans 2:1-5)
1. When we judge others, we cause God to be harder on us.  (v.1) "At whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself."
2. We do many of the same things we condemn in others. (v.1)
3. We do not know the whole truth. (v.2)  We are incapable of reading minds or judging hearts.
4. We are mere humans. (v.3) & Isaiah 29:16 - "You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!"  We must withstand all temptation to assume God's job!
5. When we judge others, we are judging God. (v.4) To all of us, His long-suffering has been our salvation.
6. God's judgment is always righteous. Ours is tainted by the flesh.
(Matthew 7:1-5)
7. We risk application of the same type of judgment to ourselves. (vv. 1-2)
8. We cannot judge the speck of sawdust in another's eye because of the planks in our own. (vv. 3-4)
9. "There is only one lawgiver and judge" (James 4:12)
10. Only God has noble purpose in His judgment - We judge to make ourselves feel righteous in comparison.
(John 8:14-18)
11. God must agree with us for our judgment to be valid (v. 15)