Proverbs 25:15
With patience you can convince a ruler, and a gentle word can get through to the hard-headed. [NCV]
How powerful patience is if only we would take the time to seek God and develop it.
Raising your voice or intensity level is not what gets through to the hard-headed, like talking more loudly and slowly to a person who doesn’t speak or understand your language. It just causes more frustration and intimidation. What gets through is the Holy Spirit, a gentle whisper. What gets through is love.
In any situation, take the time (patience) to sit and think through what you really want to come of it. What is optimal–getting someone to understand you? Being heard? Or a change of heart?
At the end of the day I think what we all truly want is for everyone to live a life of loving our benevolent Creator and loving our neighbor–every person we come into contact with. What if everyone you knew lived by the golden rule? Would things be better or worse?
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
John18:37
“This is why I was born and came into the world: to tell people the truth.”
In John’s gospel:
…truth refers to the reality of God the Father revealed in Jesus the Son. This truth can only be apprehended by disciples through faith. Revelation is at the heart of John’s usage-revelation, not as the unveiling of knowledge, but as the unveiling of Christ, who is both the messenger and the message. Consequently, since truth is personal, acquiring truth is personal. It is not learned as much as it is accepted, with all its life-transforming implications, when one comes into a relationship with Jesus.
The Father IS the truth. His eternal reality is ultimate reality.
There are no external standards to evaluate His reality;
according to John, His truth can only be accepted through
faith in Jesus as the one who comes down from heaven. Thus “the time has now come” when true worshippers will worship the Father only as revealed by Christ. However, as ultimate reality, God the father is the only standard by which all truth or falsehood, light or darkness are measured in this world.-from Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels
Listen to Jesus. When you do, you are listening to God.
Do not conform God to your own image.
Listen and obey.
Anything short of that is worshipping a false god. It is idolatry.
Surrender is our only viable option. And remember, we are surrendering to that which is ultimately good. “Father knows best” could not be more true. How I want my daughters to surrender to my will because my intentions are only good for them. And they simply don’t always know what’s best for themselves right now.
And how infinitely superior YHWH’s good will is to mine! If only I would surrender to His will even when I don’t understand it. If only I would trust in His good intentions for me at all times.
“Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to my voice.”