Hands-on Faith for Families– week of 6/24/13
Practicing Patience
A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
Talking to God
Thank God for His gift of patience and the experiences you've had that have helped you to learn to be more patient.
Diving In
Put on a pair of shoes with shoelaces. Tie one shoe as you normally would. Then tie your second shoe using your hands to do opposite tasks. For example, if you usually make your first loop with your right hand, then make it with your left. Notice how difficult a simple task becomes when you do it a new way. Your usual way is easier because of how you've trained your muscles to work.
Going Deeper
Galatians 5:22 tells us that patience is a gift from God! But just like muscles, our patience needs to be trained so that it comes more easily and you learn how to handle challenging situations. The next time something happens that requires you to wait, thank God for helping you practice your gift of patience. Being grateful may even help you keep from getting upset and losing your patience.
Talking to Each Other
• What's one area where it's hard for you to show patience?
• What are some ways you can exercise your gift of patience in that one area?
• How might thanking God for opportunities to exercise patience keep you from becoming upset?
From Focus on the Family's Thrivingfamily.com. © [2011] [Renee Gray-Wilburn]. Used by permission.
