Page 2 - cathee exhortation (1)

DEVELOPINGYOUR PATIENCE

Proverbs 16:32 says, “It is better to be patient than powerful. It is better to win
control over yourself than over whole cities”

Here are (4) four ways to test your patience

1. Interruptions

Jesus’ disciples disliked interruptions. They became impatient with people who interrupted

Jesus’ schedule (Matt. 19:13 – 14). They said, “Don’t bring your kids to Jesus now. The Master is
busy.”

2. Inconveniences

Luke 10:40 tells us about a woman who had trouble being patient in the face of inconvenience.
Jesus was at the home of Mary and Martha, and Martha was busily preparing the meal. Martha
was upset with her sister because Mary had left her to do all the work. You can hear the edge in
her voice as she said to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by
myself? Tell her to help me!” Maybe you feel this way. Maybe you are carrying that extra load
and you feel put upon and inconvenienced. You would like to be sitting at Jesus’ feet too, but
there is work to be done and you are the only one who seems to be aware of it. How do you
react? Are you patient despite the inconvenience?

3. Irritations

As we read in Numbers 20:10 – 11, Moses became irritated with the Israelites on one particular
occasion. He had put up with their petty complaints and criticisms for years, and now he had no
patience left. When God told him to speak to the rock to get water, he struck it in anger
instead. His impatience caused him to disobey God. As a result, God did not allow him to enter
the Promised Land. Moses was usually a patient person, but even patient people have their
limits, or so it would seem.

We all run into people who are irritating or get us down somehow. We must learn the lessons
of the oyster. The oyster takes an irritation — a grain of sand — and turns it into a pearl.