Your Mission Should You Choose To Accept It: Patience

YOUR MISSION SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT… PATIENCE

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes) (Several part lesson.)

YOUR MISSION SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT --- WALK IN PATIENCE.

*PATIENCE: to be calm, gentle, no tantrums, ability to endure difficult times, situations and people. Refuse to give up. Refuse anger and bitterness. To bear with one another, to bear burdens and problems calmly without complaint.

WHY IS PATIENCE A DIRTY WORD? PATIENCE IS ASSOCIATED WITH TROUBLE AND TRIBULATION.

Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

As a child was in a revival service where a lady said: PRAY THAT I DEVELOP PATIENCE. The people around her prayed. The next night the lady came in the church crying. She explained her husband ran off with her best friend. A preacher said: You got what you asked for… tribulation brings patience. I knew this was foolishness. She never prayed for her husband to run off with another woman. This trial was already in the making before the prayer. I DON’T CARE HOW CLOSE YOU WALK WITH GOD, GOD WILL STRETCH YOUR PATIENCE AS A MARK OF MATURITY. Patience is not a dirty word. If you live you will develop patience or you will die.

ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS YOU COULD EVER GIVE AND RECEIVE IS PATIENCE. IS IT POSSIBLE WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF PATIENCE?

Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Hebrews 10:36 (MSG) But you need to stick it out, staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion.

Patience is defined as suffering without complaining, without getting angry, without getting upset. My dad taught: KEEP YOUR TEMPER, NOBODY ELSE WANTS IT. I think the lack of patience can hurt you and your family. Do we allow our circumstance to define our emotions?

BIG DEAL? FRUSTRATION KILLS PATIENCE! THE JOURNEY OF LIFE IS FULL OF DISAPPOINTMENTS, HURT AND PAIN.

SO WHAT? WHO DO YOU BLAME? MOSES WAS VERY HURT. Life and ministry had been very disappointing as he was dealing with mean, disobedient and stubborn people. Moses allowed the lack of patience, the circumstances and understanding to define his reaction and behavior. The lack of patience doesn’t seem like a big deal? WE MUST REALIZE CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES. My heart sympathizes with the man of God. I don’t blame Moses. You know what: I lose my temper and my patience dealing with problems AND PEOPLE.

THE MISSION IF YOU CHOOSE IS HIT THE ROCK. NASA, WE HAVE A PROBLEM, A BIG PROBLEM. HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED GOD CHANGES PLANS? GOD HAS GIFTS FOR HIS PEOPLE. LIGHT AND WATER ARE ESSENTIAL TO LIFE… GOD HAS A PLAN. GOD TELLS MOSES SMITE THE ROCK.

Exodus 17:6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

THE MISSION HAS CHANGED…PATIENCE KNOWS WHAT WORKED YESTERDAY MIGHT NOT WORK TODAY? THE TEST OF PATIENCE IS THE WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE AND CLEARLY LISTEN TO THE HEART OF GOD.

Patience must trust by faith the plan of God. TAKE YOUR ROD! THEN SPEAK TO THE ROCK. THE PROBLEM IS MORE THAN HITTING OR SPEAKING. PATIENCE IS ABOUT ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS.

Numbers 20:6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them. 7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

We live in a day of INSTANT DEMAND AND FAST FOOD. We despise patient waiting. We demand INSTANT GRATIFICATION. We wait at red lights, the garage, doctor’s offices. WE GROW WEARY WAITING. We are not searching for opportunities to wait. This pain, this problem, this trial, this storm --- they are all opportunities.

SO WHAT? MOSES WAS FRUSTRATED. MOSES WAS TIRED OF ALL THE COMPLAINING, BACKBITING AND MURMURING. MOSES IS NOT ACTING BY FAITH. Moses’ frustration gives birth to a bad attitude lacking in PATIENCE WITH GOD’S PEOPLE.

Numbers 20:9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of