Page 4 - cathee exhortation (1)
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(2) No one else is perfect either, so I should not be surprised or overly upset when people
                   make mistakes or let me down.

                (3) God is in control, and he can use the situations, the irritations, and the problems that come
                   into my life to accomplish his purposes for me.

                Proverbs 14:29 tells us, “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man
                displays folly.” Patience is a mark of maturity.

               2. Acquire a Sense of Humor


               Learn to laugh at your circumstances. Learn to laugh at yourself. Somehow find the fun in the
               frustrating. Proverbs 14:30 says, “A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life” (LB).


               Scientific studies show that people who laugh live longer. Humor is a tension dissolver. It is an
               antidote to anxiety. It is a tranquilizer without any troublesome side effects. Laughter is life’s
               shock absorber.

               Proverbs 17:22 says, “Being cheerful keeps you healthy” (GNT). We all need to develop a sense
               of humor.


               3. Deepen Your Love

               1 Corinthians 13:4 is probably one of the most straightforward verses in the Bible: “Love is
               patient.” This means that when I am impatient, I am being unloving, because love is patient.

               When you love someone, you care about that person’s needs, desires, hurts, and point of view
               — not just your own. When you are filled with love, almost nothing can provoke you to anger or
               cause you to be impatient.

               Love is not a feeling; it’s a choice. And an action.


               What happens when you praise God for people who irritate you? You may become so much
               more like Jesus that they won’t bother you anymore. Or if it is the devil using that person to get
               at you, he will stop because the situation is motivating you to praise God. If you learn to praise
               God in every situation, you will develop a wall of praise around your life that even the devil
               cannot penetrate.

               4. Depend on the Lord


               Patience is not merely a matter of human willpower; it is the fruit of the Spirit.

               If it is God’s patience you feel, if it is the genuine fruit of the Spirit, you will have a genuine
               inner peace.
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