The Experience and The Experiment

God’s lessons don’t always come at convenient times.  And It would seem to me as though they are almost always realized in reverse.

So often I can see His protection and provision only after the painful process.

And in the middle of a difficult week I see it there in the comment of a friend… “You’re reminding me to be patient in the least patient moment.”

Ahh yes.

Because sometimes we forget.

And patience might be the most challenging of them all.

Because we long for answers… now.
We want the healing… now.
We desire to know direction… now.

And yet I would remind her that patience is a fruit of the Spirit.  And that the possession of it doesn’t always translate to the activation of it.

But what we see so often is that God will place us directly in the path of a situation of impatience, in order to stimulate us to operate in the practical use of patience… requiring from us the uncomfortably and inconvenience so as to strengthen our spiritual muscles.

Because we cannot learn about patience if we are never required to wait for anything we desperately want.
Just like we cannot learn about self-control if we’re never tempted by things that take everything within us to refuse.

And so maybe we can look at the difficult things today differently.

He is not punishing me for all I lack.
He is prompting me toward all I can be!
He’s providing the means for me to increase my faith!
He’s purposing growth within me, and teaching me how to look more like Jesus.

Whatever you're facing today… know that God is FOR you.  Know that He has designed this situation with the intention to make you better and stronger and more prepared for all that lies ahead.

It’s in the experience of it that we learn best the experiment of it!