by Andrea Renee Cox
In church these recent weeks, we are studying Ecclesiastes.
A verse that really leapt off the page at me yesterday morning was the second half of chapter
seven, verse eight:
“… The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
Ecclesiastes 7:8b NKJ
Patience is something I’ve been working on a lot in the last
many years. I’m nowhere near mastering it, and I’m not sure I ever will
accomplish that goal. But I feel I must try.
Why?
Because I don’t want to be
quick to anger. I want to beat the hot temper redheads are so famous for. I
want my family and friends to enjoy being around me all the time rather than
just in my good moments. Being patient—with other people but especially with myself (I can be brutal with myself when I make mistakes)—is becoming
one of the most important character traits to me. It’s one I care most about
gaining, learning. Lots of other things grow from it, I believe, such as calm
and peace and an even temper. I want those too, but I think I’ll start off with
learning patience, because the art of waiting well is something honorable and
decent and heroic.
What character traits
are you currently learning?
Which has been the
most difficult to acquire?
Which was the easiest
to gain?
Join the
conversation!
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2 comments:
I'm learning to trust completely. You'd think, oh, that's simple. Well, have $0.20 in the bank and still trust G-d. That's a bit extreme but it's the same lesson. :)
Trust is difficult, I think, because we often like to be in control of things. It goes against human nature to submit to anyone, particularly God, whom we cannot see with our physical eyes. Yet, when we do completely trust Him, we experience such spiritual freedom that words cannot be found to express the beauty of it. I'm proud of you for seeking such amazing trust, Bess. Keep it up!
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