More on patience

I found this quote today.  I thought it went well with my studying yesterday...

“Timing is so important! If you are going to be successful in dance, you must be able to respond to rhythm and timing. It’s the same in the Spirit. People who don’t understand God’s timing can become spiritually spastic, trying to make the right things happen at the wrong time. They don’t get His rhythm – and everyone can tell they are out of step. They birth things prematurely, threatening the very lives of their God-given dreams.” ~ T. D. Jakes

Loved that.

So, today I looked around some more.  I wish I had access to some of the books and study tools that Beth Moore or Priscilla Shirer have...but then I'd be a weirdo, nerdy hermit reading them all.  But anyways...

I came across this verse today:
Romans 8:24-25 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

There is a lot of waiting going on in this passage.  Actually, if you back up a couple of verses to see what "in this hope" is referring to you will see there is even more waiting.  In vv. 22 and 23, Romans talks about the groaning of creation and of our own bodies as we WAIT to be set free from corruption and on the redemption of our bodies.  We are saved by hoping that these things are going to happen because of Christ...that is waiting.

Verse 24 above says if we hope for something that we can see that is not considered hope.  Its saying that would be silly, right?  If I were holding a Reese Peanut Butter Egg (and I actually just was...was) and I said, "I wish I had a Reese Peanut Butter Egg!"  People would look at me like I was crazy...cause I'd be hoping for something that I could see...could obtain easily.  But the scripture says "But if we hope for what we do not see..." meaning longing for something you haven't obtained is actual hope.  It says if we hope that like, then we will WAIT for it with patience.  Now, I'm not the best writer.  I write how I think.  So, I'm going to try to unscramble my brains here.

It occurred to me that the words wait and patience are usually tied together.  We think if someone has to wait on something then they are to be patient. We think if someone is needing patience that they are waiting on something.  We tell kids to be patient when waiting on their turn, we tell single people be patient the right one is coming, we tell ourselves be patient with the workout plan because results are coming, be patient the Lord is working, be patient, be patient, be patient...

So waiting and being patient are not synonyms.  One word, waiting, implies that something is out of your control.  The other word, patience, describes your behavior as you endure what is out of your control.  So, patience is a choice.  We could easily tell kids to be anxious when waiting on their turn, we could tell single people be anxious about the right one coming, be anxious over the Lord working, be anxious about the workout plan showing results, be anxious, be anxious, be anxious.

The funny thing is that it would be more correct to say that the words wait and anxious are synonyms. right?  That is what we default to in our human state.  The biggest problem with anxiety is that it tells your brain there is a negative option.  You may not get your turn so you better cut in line.  You may not meet Mr. Right sitting back and waiting so take the reigns.  The Lord is busy with something else so go ahead and do what you think.  The workout isn't working so go ahead and eat that candy bar or 12.  Anxiety produces no hope.

So, hope is patience with joy.  You can wait (with patience) that you will have a turn.  Hope is patience with joy.  Patience with joy is knowing that there is a positive return for your waiting.  

We hope for what we have not seen, believing Christ is who He says He is, and that the return for this patience with joy is that we will be set free from bondage into glorious freedom...that our bodies be redeemed.  We have hope...patience with joy.

I'm not really sure how to close out all that I am thinking.  Maybe with how it applies to something in the present?

If I can hope that Jesus Christ is coming back for me because I believe He, as the Son of God, died for my sins then...surely I can hope that He would be taking care of any other minor issue.  I can have patience with joy...I can hope for a positive return, because God.  Because I know God and He knows me.