March 9 - Practice Patience

A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension,

but a patient man calms a quarrel.

Proverbs 15:18

Patience at times in our life is difficult to practice. Someone in our lives is causing us grief or we are impatiently waiting for something "big" to happen; both of which can cause patience to wear thin. God has a perfect plan and perfect timing for everything in our life. It is all according to His schedule. There is no rushing our Heavenly Father and there is no pleading with Him to give you what you want. Temper tantrums do not work with Him. Today I encourage you to put aside your impatience, bring calm to your heart being rest assured that everything in your life will work itself out according to His plan. Maybe not yours, but according to His. Impatience is a waste. You could be using that energy to be more useful, productive, and worthwhile in His kingdom.

For Moms, when our patience runs on thin ice it is most often with our children and husbands. I have seen increased arguing within my own family on the days I feel my patience is at its worst. Proverbs 15:18 speaks volumes to me during these situations. Walking away from the child that is on your last nerve, giving yourself a timeout, our simply closing your eyes and counting to 10 slowly are all useful tools you can practice today if you find yourself at the end of your patience rope. Please don't regret saying or doing something to your children or spouse simply because your patience was on thin ice today.

Read and apply to your life Isaiah 40:25-31

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, 

encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

1Thessalonians 5:14

Dear Heavenly Father, I come before you today to ask for renewed patience and peace of mind. Please Lord help me to release the frustration and impatience I feel in my heart. Lord please forgive me for my sins of impatience. You are such a patient and loving Father. May I gain strength today from your example. Father God please open my eyes to the arrangements and dissension that I am causing as a result of my impatience. May I have the wisdom and understanding to correct these situations in order to bring calm to my life as well as the life of others. In Your name I pray, Amen.