THANKFUL FOR TRIBULATION

THANKFUL FOR TRIBULATION

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Romans 5:1-11  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2  Through Him we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice on the hope of the glory of God. 3  And not only this, but we glory in afflictions also, knowing that afflictions work out patience, 4  and patience works out experience, and experience works out hope. 5  And hope does not make us ashamed, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. 6  For we yet being without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7  For one will with difficulty die for a righteous one, yet perhaps one would even dare to die for a good one. 8  But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. 9  Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10  For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11  And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation.

  In response to “How’d your day go?” I informed the inquirer.

  They responded “You must be terribly stressed!?”

  In answer I told them simply “No, not at all.”

  They looked at me with unbelief and smirked at my supposed pridefulness.

  I smiled, said no more, and thought of how blessed I am to have parents’ influence and Father that are still invested in teaching me calm patience. Working on an appliance, cleaning it thoroughly, culling and reorganizing contents, coming home the next day and finding it had expired all over the floor in a bloody seeping mess, costing nearly $1000 to trash contents and replace unit . . . is not losing a loved one that has all their life rejected Redeemer Jesus Christ.

  Yes, it started with my Mom, Dad, and Grandmother McGee. The training staff grew with Ann and her Dad. Then beginning at age 27, God with His wisdom. And there were others, some of whom were emotional and physical counterpoint. (Anything but calm, a WWI shellshocked close relative for one.)

  The central theme they taught me is that patience isn’t at its core a matter of disciplined reaction, it has to do with perception:

·         “Your eyes are the lamp for your body. When your eyes are good, you have all the light you need. But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. So be sure that your light isn't darkness.” (CEV Lk.11:34-35)

·         Keep your eye, heart and mind, and thereby efforts on the mission. Think raising a child; is the mission getting them to always behave in every instance, or to prepare them for adulthood? Precisely how do we interpret and apply “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”? (Pr.22:6)

·         Frame every trial and tribulation large or small with love. Think of the fact that there is inherently no goodness in us and we do often act discordant to Omni-patient God. (Rom.5:8; 1Thes.5:14; 1Jn.4:7-8; 2Pet.3:9,15)

·         Always keep our influence in mind. I wonder how many times Grandmother, Mom and Dad did this? J Let’s not forget there are many young to old (and I believe ‘eternal’) eyes watching and ears listening. (Heb.12:1; 13:1-2)

  And what do my today thoughts have to do with Christmas? Considering that Christmas involves Romans 12:1-3 celebration, much!

  My brothers and sisters, young to old, count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing. (Jam.2:2-4)  EBB4