Follow the Leader - Encouragement Café - Apr 23, 2015

Follow the Leader

Café Menu for Thursday, April 23, 2015

Today’s Special is: Patience Is Next To Godliness

Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Luann Prater

Main Ingredient:

God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.

 1 Peter 3:20 NIV

Entrée:

Do you remember playing follow the leader as a kid? I do. I was never the leader, only a follower. I was too short, too slow, and too new in class to be a leader. Yet all those years of practice didn't teach me to always be a good follower in all areas of my life.

Clean freaks often spout, "Cleanliness is next to godliness." A better comparison might be, "Patience is next to godliness," because throughout the Bible God demonstrates it!

Patience is hard for us to wrap our brain around, mostly because we live in a 'me generation.' And let's face it, the world has ALWAYS been in a perpetual me generation! Eve said, "What about me? I want the forbidden fruit. Why shouldn't I have it?" We want what we want and by the way, we want it now.

Amazingly, God has taught us from the beginning what patience looks like but we choose the quick fix instead.

In the days of Noah, He patiently waited for judgment. Today He patiently waits for you and me to get over ourselves. And He is waiting to come back to give everyone time to turn their hearts to Him.

He models patience and He asks us to follow His lead. Maybe that friend, neighbor, coworker or family member is getting on your last nerve. Maybe it's time to play follow the leader and apply the grace that has been so freely given to us.

What if God came back today because He was done being patient? Who in your sphere would perish without Him? 

Take Out:

Write down on an index card all of the areas that test your patience. One by one pray that God will teach you to follow His lead and practice patience.

Dessert:

Father, we are so short-sighted. We are focused on things that are right in front of us instead of allowing You to take us to the 30,000 foot view. Take us there today. Show us that our decision to be patient just might make an eternal impact on someone else's life. Lord, we want to follow hard after You. In Jesus' name, amen.

For more encouragement, visit Luann's Life.

© 2015 by Luann Prater. All rights reserved.

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