Okay friends, I've really cracked. I am feeling so in need of some help being patient about where God is calling me to serve as my first pastorate that I Googled "Bible verses on patience." I'm not making a dig at people who do find solace in Googling topics to find them in scripture, but you know, I have a Master in Divinity so going to Google for help felt kind of silly for me.
And here's the best of what I found:
But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance. --Luke 8:15
For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. --Romans 8:24-25
But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. -- 1 Timothy 1:16
I also remembered one of my favorite verses of all time, which is about worrying rather than patience, but which fits better than those above:
Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. -- Matthew 6:34
Considering the amount of impatience in the world today, I guess I'm surprised that patience and waiting are mentioned relatively sparsely in scripture. At least it feels like when patience comes up in the Bible, it doesn't line up in quite the right way with the way I'm feeling right now. A lot of what I found in scripture is about waiting for the return of Christ or waiting for the day of the Lord to come, and frankly these are not such huge concerns for my own theology, which is much more oriented towards recognizing the Kingdom of God here and now-- on this earth, in our very midst. That's not so much about patience-- that's about uncovering what is already present. The problem I'm having is about being too anxious and antsy about what's to come in my life-- where I'll be working and living, and when. I don't feel like scripture brings me there so easily.
Any thoughts? Googling isn't getting me where I want to go, so maybe my blog readers can.
Okay readers, this is a call for your wise words on patience--Scripture, quotes, songs, your own advice-- I need them!
I think that having some quiet time each day to listen to your inner voice/ God/ your heart is important so that you can make a decision, based not on anxiety, but on your own sense of faith. "Be still and know that I AM God." is one of my favorite bible quotes for instilling a sense of peace when I feel anxious and out of control.
ReplyDeleteConsider the lilies of the field...
ReplyDeleteAs one who is right there with you but with a little more lead time here's some of my mantras:
ReplyDelete-Better to wait for the right call than to rush into the wrong call.
-When you reach the point where if one more person uses the Jesus in the wilderness image to provide you comfort and you want to scream, it's ok, scream, it's perfectly natural for you, and they really do want to provide you some comfort.
-use this time to really dig through your theological tool box; take in all the churches you are looking at and ask what does this mean for the church and your call, how is the world differnt than what you thought when you were in seminary.
-Use this time to expand your own personal practice of devotion. This is an amazing gift in itself.
-Remember you initial call, it still stands and will continue to give you new life.
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