Lessons in patience

All of us I'm sure has experienced situations that would dampen our spirits. Circumstances that would rob us of our joy  and turn it into a rage that can get ugly and make us control. We deal with things like this everyday when we go out on the road to school or work, our friends and collegues and sometimes even our family. It is simply unavoidable and I guess what matters most is our attitude. Do we roll with the punch or do we fight back? Attitude is everything. How we deal with our everyday nerve racking experiences will greatly say something about our character. The bible commands us in James 1:19 to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. And then it goes on to say that man's anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Tough one huh? Believe me when i say that I am struggling with this just like everyone else.

So why am I writing something about patience if I my self don't have it?  Well...  I believe that I am a bad example and I want people to learn from me on "what you should not be doing", I am hoping that those of you who are reading this will do the right thing. I blow my top easily. I have a very short fuse for people who are irresponsible, inconsiderate, childish and so on. The list is long. If there is one thing that I have learned in dealing with situations and annoying people is that fighting fire with fire does not work. You get angry and then the fire will grow big. next thing you know you have a full scale war on your hands.

It's funny but we often pray to God to give us patience. When he answers our prayers we complain. The only way for God to answer our desire for patience is to put us in situations wherein we can develop our patience. We just don't have the right attitude in dealing with difficult situations. You already know how I respond but have you ever asked yourselves how you respond? Does your attitude show the kind of person you are? Are we loving enough to forget whatever bad thing came our way or do we retaliate with a force so powerful to start a war? I have prayed to God a lot to grant me patience and he is more than willing to help out. Just not in the way that I hope he would but he knows what is best. Who am I to say Lord, I have a better way. I guess, the most important thing to consider is are we learning to be patient in difficult situations. What did we learn and what areas of our attitude do we have to develop. Dealing with it on our own won't work. It is only by asking God for his strength to work in us. Are you about to blow your lid off? Ask God for help and have a genuine love for others. That's what I should be doing.