God says keep going…

 

When looking at my quilts or talking to a non-quilter at a show, I often hear, “I don’t have the patience to quilt.” I sometimes think, “How then will you get patience?” But I don’t say it. God tells me how to grow in patience, but most of us don’t like His method.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)

What does it mean to be patient? The Bible uses patience, perseverance, endurance, and steadfastness to describe God. He patiently withholds judgment for a time and allows for repentance and salvation He uses this to define people who are reliable, faithful, and true to the end. Jesus was steadfast. 

Trials produce this quality using these English words to describe the ability to trust God no matter the situation. In other words, patience is not about a quality needed to produce a desired result. It is about the quality needed to wait on God for the desired result — and God does not stitch up my quilts.

I’ve given much thought to this idea of needing patience even to create something. Would the word “motivation” be more suitable? And to go deeper, would “love” be better? In the context of raising children, a parent needs patience to keep teaching them. Love desires that they become responsible, well-behaved adults. As for quilt-making, motivation can vary. For me, it is the desire to show the recipient that they are loved. I’m also created in the image of God so creating something useful and hopefully beautiful is part of who I am. Yes, it is often hard work and perseverance must replace procrastination, yet patience isn’t the biggest issue.

Actually, the alternative to patience is: “I want it now” and that statement tells me that I’m not mature — since maturity is often defined as the ability to wait for delayed gratification. Applied to quilting or anything else, it is the attitude of wanting something without having to do anything or without needing to wait for it. Interesting that the NT adds this as an addition to faith and part of my spiritual growth. I noticed that it follows another important word:

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5–8)

Self-control means selfish desires under control or selfishness yielded to the Lord, and a careful read shows this is part of becoming more like Jesus and better able to persevere or keep on. A person of faith shows lack of trust in God’s timing by always ‘wanting it now’ instead of being patient with God.

That said, making quilts for me can be a patient-developer only if I’ve lost my original motivation to show God’s love to people. Then it is just another chore on my to-do list. Instead of that happening, perseverance and all that is required in the process helps me realize that if my list is just  ‘more chores’ motivated by duty instead of love.. Even housework or grocery shopping can be done out of love for others. Changing the motivation for why I do them makes a huge difference in my attitude while I do them. 

Impatiently wanting anything ‘done and over with’ is a faith matter too. I am not trusting God when I get upset with not seeing the results of what I have asked Him to do:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Quilt making has helped me keep my eyes on the promise (the finished project) even when it is unseen. I don’t need to have the end result in my hands to keep going, just as I am learning that I don’t need to see the resolution or answer to all my prayers instead of keeping my focus on God’s promises. If anyone tells me they do not have the patience to quilt, maybe this could be an opportunity to ask about motivations for why we do anything?

PRAY: Jesus, patience is a big topic. You are a big God, otherwise I’d never keep going without the desires You grant me to do things, to meet needs and show Your love to others. May You persevere in granting me perseverance and the faith to keep on when the work is a challenge or those around me do not understand the reasons why I do anything You put on my heart to do. 

Living orderly…

A language can be confusing to those learning it. Mandarin Chinese has about 420 syllables without tones, and 1300 syllables with tones, some of them being homonyms for more than 100 characters, each with different meaning. A homophone is a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning and/or spelling. “Flower” and “flour” are homophones because they are pronounced the same but you certainly can't bake a cake using daffodils.

Consider the English word ‘order’ and its several meanings. Put the room in order. Order breakfast in the restaurant. Order the child to stop jumping on the bed. Arrange the spices in alphabetical order.

This word came to mind when reading my ‘verse for the day’ even though it is not in the passage:

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5–8)

It seems that Peter wrote this with a progression in mind, so my first task was looking up verses that talk about doing things in an orderly way. Two came to mind without looking:
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. . . . But all things should be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:33; 40)

Another is at the beginning of Luke’s gospel: "It seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus." (Luke 1:3) Dr. Luke wanted the story told in an orderly way, perhaps because many stories are told by those who ramble around with the details.

Peter was the same. Acts 11:4 says he “began and explained it to them in order.” This shows up in the verses above. It also fits with Paul’s words to two churches:

For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. (Colossians 2:5)
I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:35)

This implies that order on Peter’s words in his 2nd letter has helpful instruction. It says “supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge” so considering the admonitions in other NT verses, this sounds like a sequence. Faith comes first, so this is for those who are trusting God. No one can have true virtue without faith. Any goodness we have must be given to us by Him through faith in Christ. The NT says, “All fall short of the glory of God” and the OT verifies this by saying: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment…” (Isaiah 64:6)

The first result of faith then is a change from sinful living to obedient goodness. Faith brings a new nature, a work of God that enables our motivation from the Holy Spirit instead of our sinful selves. Without faith, any ‘goodness’ is self-produced and falls short.

Then add knowledge. Most new Christians have little understanding of what is going on. I remember a friend saying, “It takes a moment to be saved, and a lifetime to figure out what happened.” Therefore, we need to add knowledge, even just to understand what God has done.
This knowledge is always from the Word of God. It can come through preaching, teaching, godly advice, etc. but must conform to what God says. More than once God tells me to gain knowledge of Him:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) 
. . . . put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:10)

The passage goes on, but each step is continuous. That is, virtue continues to be established, as does knowledge, self-control and so on. But if I hang on to any vice, knowledge and all other growth is hindered, even ceases, until the Lord changes my stubborn self-rule.

PRAY: This passage has much to say, to think about. Lord, You know where I am and what I need in this orderly living. Speak. Show me whatever I need to see and to obey to become more like You.

Steadfast consistency is better than “the same-old, same-old”

This year and last, the income tax department put my tax payment in my installment account instead of applying it to balance owing. Then, three months later, they tell me I’ve not paid my taxes. Not only have they charged interest on non-payment, but they also gained interest on the funds wrongly applied to next year’s taxes. Last year, after a long phone call, they removed the interest and put the funds where they belong. No apology. Repeated this year. At least they are consistent.

In the Bible, ‘consistent’ is attached to a different word that means ‘loyal, reliable and STEADFAST’ a word usually followed by “love” to describe the certainty of God’s concern and His reliable willingness to do good for people.

Genesis 39:21 uses steadfast to describe God’s faithfulness toward Joseph when he was wrongly imprisoned: “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

Steadfast love is used more than two hundred times to describe God:

Exodus 34:6–8. “The Lord passed before (Moses) and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty . . . .’ And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.”

God showed the same attitude toward David and Solomon in 2 Samuel 7:13–16:

“(Solomon) shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you (David). And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”

In this verse and many others, it becomes clear that God’s steadfast love is not earned or deserved. It is who He is, not about what we are. The psalmists and other Bible writers emphasize the generosity God shows by remaining loyal to His human creatures even when we are not deserving of such faithful attention.

Psalm 6:4. “Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.”

Psalm 13:5. “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.”

Psalm 25:7. “Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!”

Psalm 33:5. “He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.”

Psalm 33:22. “Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”

Psalm 51:1. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.”

This OT word is about firm determination. God’s loyalty is not merely from appreciating our worship, or any self-interest, but because He has determined to be loyal to His people. As the prophet wrote in Lamentations 3:22–24, this care is an anchor for us: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ ”

Our response ought to reflect this steadfastness in our relationship to Him and to each other. In the NT, the emphasis of steadfast is on that response:

1 Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Colossians 4:2. Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

1 Timothy 6:11–12. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY The NT also tells how we become like God. James 1:3–4 says, “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Instead of resisting trials, God wants me to be steadfast and gave me His divine nature to that end. 2 Peter 1:5–8 says I must, “make every effort to supplement my faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness . . . increasing in reflecting who He is because these qualities keep me from being useless in my walk with Jesus Christ. For these and many other reasons, I thank God for His steadfast love!