Patience.

Patience-

I can only speak from personal experience but patience is not something we possess naturally, at least most of the people I know don't possess it naturally. There are a few who I would consider more patient than others, and some who are very impatient, but the forgiving patient nature that endures time after time without wearing thin, is a rarity.  Of course, this is just my experience. I wish I had a lot more patience. I wish I had the nature of my mother, she was a very patient woman (unless I'm looking through the mother-rose colored glasses we can often possess).

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 

Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 

Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

God is returning to take His people home with Him. Every person's case will be decided by God. Grace makes our salvation possible, without it no one would be taken home with God. Grace makes us able to have deeds where we seek well doing through those deeds. We are not seeking salvation- to earn our salvation, but we are seeking to do the will of the One who has saved us. The deeds will reveal our situation, our actions will speak louder than our words. We may have to strive to do the will of God, the good deeds, the well doing, because we have a force opposing us at every opportunity to cause us to fail.

Doing good isn't coming naturally to you? That opposing force will tell you to give up, to stop even striving towards good, that it is impossible for you. Grasping hold through faith that we are saved by the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ and then setting about to do well no matter how often we fail, this is patience in well doing, this is continuing to seek to do well hoping that we will be victorious in Christ to eternal life. Our salvation is found in this hope, and through patience we wait for the hope to be realized. We do NOT give in!

We may be impatient in a lot of situations in our lives- waiting in a long car line, waiting in a check out line at a store, being put on hold on the phone, listening to a long winded story, watching a pot of water boil, waiting our turn for just about anything we anticipate without dread. There are a lot of situations where impatience rears its very ugly head, but we must have patience as we wait for God's plan to unfold. And that patience is our persevering no matter what we cling to the hope found in Jesus. Seriously, no matter what! You aren't the perfect Christ follower, or how you imagine a perfect Christ follower should be? Do NOT give in. Let patience have its work.

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 

Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 

Jas 1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 

Endure. Let patience have her perfect work. Hold fast!

All by His grace and mercy! All by His will! All through His amazing love!

Amen!!!!!!!