Fast Lane...

In this fast pace world it is hard for us to except "slow". We are caught up in fast food, fast lines and fast lanes. How do you react in a fast lane going slow? As Christians we would like to believe we would not react as impatient as others react, but we do. You know - you are standing in the grocery line that limits items to 10 or less and someone in front of you has a pretty full cart, you are standing in a fast food line and the ones beside you are moving right along but for some reason yours is hung up, or you are in the fast lane on the highway and someone in front of you is not going quite as fast as you think they should. These are all situations that test our patience. They also show us exactly what we are made of. Have you ever heard the saying "Christians are like teabags, you find out what they are made of when you plunk them into hot water"? I know there are those times when we are on a tight schedule so that when these situations arise it can be stressful, however, most of the time we become irritated because we are impatient.

In the first chapter of James he talks about trials and temptations, something we all face as believers. Remember he is talking to believers in this letter he writes. Trials are to test our faith and produce patience. In fact James tells us to "count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." (James 1: 2,3) Patience is a fruit of the spirit as Paul tells us in Galatians 6: 22,23.

James tells us in verse 19 and 20 that the qualities we will need to endure trials and become patient is to be swift to hear (seek to learn), slow to speak (think before speaking), and slow to wrath (anger can cause us to say and do things that will not produce patience) and he says the "wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." Patience is slow and the Lord uses this process to produce the righteousness of God in us.

The word "fast" is not what usually comes to mind when we think of patience. We say "Lord, teach me patience and teach me now"!

Meditate on verses 19 and 20. The next time you find yourself in a fast lane going slow, let it produce the fruit of patience in your life. Today you will have opportunities to exercise patience. Let the fruit of the spirit be visible in your life to others.

P.S. I will not be posting again until September 21, 2009. Our daughter's father-in-law past away and we are attending the funeral in Georgia. I would appreciate your prayers for the McKinney family. May you experience His joy and peace.