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. 

Listen and Silent are spelled with the same letters . . .

 

Yesterday, at our local quilt guild’s show, I sat at the community service table chatting with the chairperson of that committee. A man came and began looking at the brochures from the various charities that receive our quilts. He focused on one from an organization that helps victims of abuse and began telling us how his sister-in-law was emotionally abusing his brother and he didn’t know what to do.

As much as I wanted to say something helpful, this verse came to mind: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19) and I realized this was not the time, nor the place, nor did I have the qualifications to advise him. We told him to take the brochure and see if that organization could help him.

MacArthur says this verse and much of James 3 is a warning not to rush into the role of a Bible teacher. While it certainly applies to taking on that role without God’s clear direction, it seems to cover more than talking out of turn in a formal teaching role. Watchman Nee, a Christian martyred for his faith, wrote that he went through lessons of learning to keep his mouth shut, then learning how to talk again. His remarks were tied to the first part of James 19 — being quick to hear. God would give the words — IF he were supposed to say anything in any situation.

The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. (Isaiah 50:4)

Pastors and Bible teachers can spend hours in study and listening to the Holy Spirit when preparing sermons and lessons. Those who are effective in this ministry know the value of listening when it comes to speaking. The average person in ordinary conversation is no different. If my conversations are to bless others, then I need to pay attention to what they are saying and what the Holy Spirit is giving me in response.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:29–30)

These verses suggest that being quick to speak grieves God’s Spirit because I am ignoring what He wants me to say, as if my thoughts and ideas are more important. Duh!

Not only that, James 3 indicates that without control of my tongue, all sorts of selfish notions will spew out, and instead of edifying others, I am apt to offend them. I need to be aware that giving my opinion could be construed as ‘teaching’ and James says that if I cannot bridle my tongue, I’m apt to be boasting, saying things that harm others instead of blessing them. Jesus did tell us to teach, but the content is specific:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you . . . .” (Matthew 28:19–20, emphasis mine)

This is clear. I’m to share with others what God has taught me, not necessarily  what I think they should know, or what someone else teaches, but the truths that I needed to hear in my own life. This implies that what I share will include why I needed that lesson, not spouted out in a “you should do this...” attitude — a teaching technique that others resist. People are edified to know they are not alone in their struggles against sin, rather than being admonished by someone who gives them rules to ‘fix’ their problems.

Being slow to speak also suggests that I must really listen to people as well as to the Holy Spirit. Many folks struggle with saying what they mean, or telling the whole story, or expressing the real problem. A good listener will find out far more than someone who is too quick to answer.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, You know my tendency to want to jump in with what I know instead of finding out what others need to hear. Enable me to be quick to hear You and to hear them, as well as being slow to speak my mind on any matter. My opinions can often give the message that I’m not really listening and when I speak them, I could easily be suggesting that others don’t know what they are talking about — an insult rather than an edification. Change this bad habit and help me be a better listener who really thinks before opening my mouth.

READ Proverbs 10:19, 13:3, 17:28, and 29:20, noting what each verse teaches about wise speech.