Patience & Persistence

Have you ever lost sight of who you are becoming? Or rather, not lost sight, but instead, gotten so caught up in who you used to be and wondering how to become who you think you are supposed to be?

You get caught up in life's realizations and get depressed because we lose sight of what is most important, but in suffering we are made perfect; "But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12: 9&10. It is those very weaknesses that we possess and the sufferings we must go through that allow us to see God as real and not just as a figment of our imaginations. The very fact that, in our hardest times as we are walking through life and because of our imperfect nature, God can be apparent in our lives. If we were already perfect we would have no need for God; there would be no despair, only joy or vice versa; even though we are supposed to find joy in every circumstance - the meaning of seeking God for love, mercy and grace - so that we can understand His "plan" for our lives.

Our imperfections allow us to call upon someone that is perfect so that we can find joy in our sufferings, instead of trying to get down on ourselves because life dealt you a bad hand. God would never put an obstacle in your life that you could not overcome. He puts those obstacles in our lives to test us so that we will learn to call upon Him, but not only in times of need and trial, but also when life is good. All that is needed is patience. However, we cannot have true patience if we do not have persistence along with it. God does not want us to sit around and wait for a sign because even Satin can produce signs. No, rather, He would have us endure, persist until the very end. Read His Word, "Pray without ceasing," without seeking first His Kingdom and righteousness we cannot find our own.

So, here I sit, I have been confused about my life in general for the better part of my high school career and now I find myself in college. "Most people only have enough religion to make themselves miserable." (Pastor Paul) When I heard this quote a weight was lifted from my shoulders because I realized that Christianity is more than just a title or a label, it is a way of life. It is a personal relationship with the One who gave up everything so that you may make the right choice in choosing Him. So if you find yourself struggling with this very same thing or are caught up in who you used to be and are trying to become the Christian you ought to be, "seek first His Kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6: 33 Don't let patience be a tool for Satin, but rather, persist beyond what Satin allows us to twist and get tangled up in by our own labyrinth that is our earthly thoughts. Become the Christian you were born to be by persisting and persevering and by delighting in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties.

Do not get caught up in what the "stereotypical Christian" looks like. All that matters is your relationship with God, that is why it is personal. He desires that relationship with every human, it is only your choice to decide whether to follow Him; He is waiting at the door. "Here I am. I stand at the door and knock, whoever hears my voice and opens the door I will come and eat with him and he with me." Revelation 3:20