For many, patience connotes an arduous task. This could very well be your situation, and life has its share of discomfort. The Bible encourages us to run with patience the race set before us, and fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). I believe that mastering patience, regardless of the situation, can instill an ability to enjoy or learn in every nuance of life.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently on Him …” –Psalm 37:7a

James tells us to let patience have her perfect work so that we can be perfect and entire lacking nothing (James 1:4). So it’s possible to lack nothing. By allowing patience to have her perfect work, you hold out for the best every time. You end up lacking nothing and enjoying the journey. Before you disagree, lend me your eyes. Look through the eyes of God. He never gave up on you—and He never will! “The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance,” reads the Amplified Bible’s version of 2 Peter 3:9. He waited for you and He continues to wait for you. He wants you to get it.

And one day, I got it. The Holy Spirit ministered to my spirit. We started saying things like, “I’m excited about the party this weekend!” Instead of, “I can’t wait for the party this weekend!” You see, by saying you’re excited about or you’re looking forward to or you’re interested in seeing this or that, you acknowledge where you are right now. Take the potty training comment. I tried not to focus on rushing my daughter through it, rather we celebrated the task! It gave me the opportunity to teach her more about worshipping God. Every time she produced positive results, we shouted, “Hallelujah!” or “Praise the Lord!” Now in addition to being well potty trained, she loves to worship God! Patience had her perfect work.

Now for the more serious instances, I’ll share a more difficult experience. During the weeks and months following the death of my first son, I wanted to totally escape. I literally could not wait for the gut-wrenching pain to end. But, I had need of patience. I had to count it as joy. There is no quick fix—no immediate way to totally heal (physically, spiritually or emotionally). After this tragedy, I had to be healed from the inside out. God was with me the entire time. Had I decided to yield to escapism by evading the emotions I was experiencing, I would not have been healed. Patiently, I allowed the Lord to help me deal with the hurt, anger and confusion I was feeling. Even in cases of instantaneous divine healing, there is still work to be done on the individual’s part in order to maintain the healing. So it is a work in progress. Jesus told the man healed at the Pool of Bethesda, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee (John 5:14).”

Let’s finish with Brother James. Again, he tells us in James 1:2-4 to, “Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” We can count it as joy because we know this—that our faith will be tried and if we endure, we will want nothing (Psalm 23:1). Your father God is patient, imitate Him. Enjoy the time you have. Patiently stand in that line and if you can find nothing positive about it but the fact that you have healthy legs to stand on, praise God for that! Know that your steps are ordered and there may be a reason for the unexpected delay. Clean that oatmeal off the wall with joy! One day you may have to set an appointment with your children in order to have a meal with them! I think you get the picture now. There is something positive and beautiful in every experience and season of your life. Yes, you can wait.

Be blessed friends, and have the perfect day everyday!

Psalm 138:8

—Shontta

While discussing these Blessing blockers, I am attempting to give a thorough but brief synopsis of basic material. It is my hope these articles will evoke a desire in you to learn more about each one. Anger is another Blessing blocker and the Word gives clear practical instructions for handling it.

My personal acronym for anger is this—an Antagonistic Negative Guilt-laying Emotional Reaction (ANGER). Antagonism is actively expressed opposition or hostility. Negative means lacking positive quality or disagreeable.Guilt is a feeling of culpability for offenses. Emotional is the state of being dominated by or prone to emotion. And, finally, a reaction is a response to some treatment, situation or stimulus. The emotion of anger embodies all of these traits; and, in order to fulfill the Blessing in our lives, it is imperative that we conquer it. We are, after all, more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). The Bible says in several places that God is slow to anger and rich in love (Exodus 34:6; Nehemiah 9:17 and Psalm 145:8 are a few). Knowing this, I am reminded of Paul telling us to be imitators of God as dearly beloved children (Ephesians 5:1). We cannot be easily angered nor be associated with those who are. Let’s examine some verses.

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. —Proverbs 16:32

The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. —Proverbs 19:11

An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.—Proverbs 29:22 

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. —Ecclesiastes 7:9

Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: —Proverbs 22:24

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: —Ephesians 4:31

These are some powerful verses and we can do all things through Christ. You can choose to remove all ANGER from your life. When you do so, you are choosing to live the life of health and abundance promised in Deuteronomy 28:1-14.

Be reminded that yielding to and harboring anger also allows the curse to operate in your physical body. Psychology Today published “The Downside of Anger” and it stated, “It (anger) eats away at your cardiovascular system, your gut and hijacks nervous system, often obliterating the capacity for clear thinking. And it may even grow in intensity.”* How can you possibly walk in the Blessing if this emotion is manifesting itself though you? In a 1990 article in The New York Times entitled “If Anger Ruins Your Day, It Can Shrink Your Life.” The following is a quote from that article:  “Researchers have gathered a wealth of data lately suggesting that chronic anger is so damaging to the body that it ranks with, or even exceeds, cigarette smoking, obesity and a high-fat diet as a powerful risk factor for early death. “Our studies indicate that hostile, suspicious anger is right up there with any other health hazard we know about,” said Dr. Redford Williams, a researcher in behavioral medicine at the Duke University Medical Center.”*

Do not let ANGER and a lack of knowledge destroy you. You can change; as a matter of fact, you can’t come in contact with the Living God and not change. A refusal to do so gives place to the enemy in your life. Use this knowledge as a springboard, and rid yourself of the Blessing blocker ANGER. Don’t give any place to the devil. Let the peace of God rule in your heart so the Blessing can flow freely in your life.

Be blessed friends, and have the perfect day everyday!

Psalm 138:8

—Shontta

*http://www.psychologytoday.com/ (The Downside of Anger)

*http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE7D61731F930A25751C1A966958260&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=all (New York Times)