March 22

BE PATIENT

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:4

We all want to be successful, and we want it instantly. But there is nothing like instant success. Every enduring success takes time. One of life's frustrations is that God's timetable is rarely the same as ours. We are often in a hurry when God isn't. You may feel frustrated with the seemingly slow progress you're making in life. But remember that God is never in a hurry, He is always on time. So be patient with God and with yourself.

The Bible is filled with examples of how God uses a long process to develop character, especially in leaders. He took eighty years to prepare Moses, including forty in the wilderness. For 14,600 days Moses kept waiting and wondering, "Is it time yet?" But God kept saying, "Not yet." Contrary to popular notion, there are no easy steps to spiritual maturity or secrets of instant success. When God wants to make a giant oak, he takes a hundred years, but when he wants to make a mushroom, he does it overnight. Great people grow through struggles and storms and seasons of sacrifices. Be patient with the process.

Remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. Years ago I saw a man wearing a button with the letters PBPGINFWMY. It stood for "Please Be Patient, God Is Not Finished With Me Yet." God isn't finished with you, either, so keep on moving forward.

Prayer: Pray for the spirit of patience and endurance so that you will receive all the promises of God.

Scriptural Reading: James 1:1-8