Monday Marriage Moment: Patience

Monday, October 27, 2014

We are not a very patient people.  We want what is ours and we want it NOW!  Don’t expect us to be happy about waiting for anything . . . we want instant service, instant gratification, instant results.  Ask us to wait, and we will instantly respond with, “How long?”  No, patience is a virtue that is lost on so many of us.

Yet, patience is one of the fruits of the spirit.

That means that God expects us to be patient!

Patient with our friends, patient with our families, patient with strangers . . .

patient with Him.

Think of all the people in the Bible who had to wait.  God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, but Abraham had to wait . . . a. long. time.  Joseph waited many years before seeing his dreams fulfilled.  Moses had to wait 40 years before God even gave Him his purpose in life . . . and then He spent the last 40 years of His life waiting once again!  The list could go on and on . . .

God always keeps His promises, but sometimes we have to wait to see them fulfilled.

What about you?  Are you waiting on God today?  If so, HOW are you waiting?

It’s one thing to wait . . . we all have to wait.

It’s quite another thing to wait PATIENTLY!

Are you a patient person?  Are you patient when it comes to waiting for the Lord to keep His promises in your life?

Are you patient when it comes to your family?

Are you patient when it comes to your spouse?

This week’s Monday Marriage moment focuses on the issue of patience.  Open up your Bibles and spend some time discussing this issue in your lives.

May God Bless you and your marriage this week.

Cheri

PS.  The November prayer calendar is coming out on Wednesday.  Be sure to check back and get yours!

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Monday Marriage Moment Patience (downloadable pdf)

But the Fruit of the Spirit is:
Patience

ON YOUR OWN:

1. Read James 1:19-20.

2. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate yourself when it comes to being patient with your spouse? How do you think your spouse would rate you?

3. When is it the most difficult for you to remain patient with your spouse? Why do you think this is?

4. Spend time praying for God to help you to be more patient towards your spouse.

TOGETHER:

1. Read James 1:19-20 together.

2. Which of these do you need to work on the most in your marriage? (quick to listen, slow to speak, or slow to become angry . . . or all of them). What steps do you think you can take to improve on that area this week?

3. Read Colossians 3:12-13 together.

3. Verse 13 tells us to bear with one another. Do you ever feel like you have to “bear with one another” in your marriage? When? Discuss the times when it is difficult for you to be patient with one another and spend some time praying for those situations.

4. Perhaps you do not have difficulty with patience towards one another at all, Perhaps the area where you experience the most difficulty is waiting on the Lord. His timing is not our timing, but He always keeps His promises. Can you think of anyone in the Bible who had to wait on the Lord? Discuss this with one another.

5. Here are a few songs that can help with the area of waiting:

And here’s a fun one . . . sometimes you have to wait for it!!

5. Sometimes it can be so hard to wait patiently on the Lord, but, as mentioned above, God’s timing is not our timing. He will keep His promises, but we don’t know when. Think about how long Abraham and Sarah had to wait . . . and Joseph . . . and King David. It seems like everyone who was promised something in the Bible had to wait. What are some ways that you can wait on the Lord without letting the situation control and worry you? Discuss this together.

6. I love the lyrics of the first song above . . . I will serve you while I’m waiting. Spend each day serving and worshiping Jesus, and maybe the wait won’t seem quite as long.

FOR FURTHER FUN:

1. Give yourselves opportunities to practice patience with one another this week. Be quick to listen to one another (without having to interrupt to give your own input), slow to speak and slow to become angry. Find a time when you can sit down and practice listening to one another.

2. Offer to babysit for another family or take your kids out for a fun evening. This will give you lots of practice in patience!

3. Instead of grumbling the next time your spouse does something that makes you want to lose your patience, stop and pray. Right then and there.

4. The next time you find yourself having to wait (at a stoplight, in line at the grocery store, for a slow clerk at the bank . . . ) spend the time waiting praying for your spouse.

5. And, since I’ve had this song going through my head this entire time, I must now share it with you.