Love

Patience

/ brianhilton9 / 1 Comment

Every spring, the naked trees that endured winter’s blusters clothe themselves in a spectacular array of colors and fragrances. It’s as if they are preparing for a special occasion, taking extra measures to exhibit their beauty.

One of the earliest arrivals to the spring banquet is the Magnolia tree. Her pinkish white petals and bright yellow carpels seem to signal to the rest of the trees that it is indeed time once again to blossom.

I’ve long adored the large Magnolia that stands outside the front of our house. As a young kid, I would climb it and hang on its branches. As I’ve grown older, I find myself admiring the beauty of its presence in the springtime and all that means.

Spring is my favorite season. When I see that Magnolia in the front bloom, I know that warm weather, sunshine, and rounds of golf are right around the corner. I’ve come to notice over the past several years however, that in terms of Magnolias, ours seems to be a late bloomer.

Along our road are several homes with Magnolias that bloom at least a week or even two before ours. Could they be a different type of Magnolia?  Sure. I’m no arborist! But in this discrepancy, I find myself awaiting the buds’ transformation into flowers with a frustrated sense of urgency. In something so seemingly inconsequential, I quickly grow impatient, and the once eloquent banquet scene is ruined by an unruly rush of the moment.

Sound ridiculous? I’m not actually staring out the window angry because the tree didn’t bloom fast enough, but I might as well be when I examine other areas of my life.

Take driving. I’m not sure of many things I dislike more than driving behind someone going less than the speed limit. It infuriates me. I start to tap the steering wheel. I huff and puff. I consider passing even though I know it’s a stupid idea. One day after this began happening more frequently, I began to think, “why do people around here drive so slow?!” Then, like a smack in the face, a thought popped into my mind.

“Why do you drive so fast?”

I began to thank God that I was getting stuck behind “slow” drivers after that. I still don’t enjoy going less than the speed limit, but these scenarios have elevated a desire in my heart that is so much more valuable than being able to do things quickly.

I used to understand patience as waiting. If I was having a good day, patience would be waiting with a positive attitude. If I was having a bad day, patience would be waiting angry that it wasn’t time yet. But most of the time, patience for me has been an enemy I try my best to defeat quickly and often.

I think that’s probably the case for most people. We’d rather not wait so we do everything we can, so we don’t have to. But perhaps you have come to see with me that impatience almost always produces negative results. It ruins good things. It actually capsizes the desire it claims to expedite delivery on.

For years I’ve been praying that God would make me a patient person. So much so, that I’ve grown quite impatient that I’m not as patient as I’d like to be yet. It’s kind of hilarious when you think about it. Growing impatient about having patience!

As I’ve searched God’s Word trying to learn what He says about patience, it often seems like the word is presented as an exhortation but seldom with a definition. But upon closer study, you’ll find that patience is defined much differently than simply waiting or trying not to reduce your wait time.

Most of the references to patience I see in scripture are describing the character of God. Take Peter’s words as an example.

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:8

This oft-quoted verse is remarkable. This statement is made during a reminder about the return of Jesus Christ to earth and the subsequent judgement of those who don’t know Him. We learn that God doesn’t see time in the same way that we do, sure. But more than that, we see that God is patient.

What does that mean? Patience is one thing for fallible human beings who can’t really control much of anything. But for the God of the universe for whom nothing is impossible? We see here that His patience is not merely waiting because He can’t do anything else. It’s part of His nature and a reflection of His love for the world that He’d rather delay His wrath on those who don’t know Him as much as possible so that they might come to repentance.

While He’s been mocked through the centuries by those who laugh at the idea of His existence, He’s waited patiently for them to receive His gift of salvation in Jesus Christ through faith.

The thing that’s so incredible to me about that is the fact that He never has to be patient. He is God. He can do as He pleases when He pleases. Yet He chooses in love to be patient with sinners, as He simultaneously adorns the finishing preparation touches for the true banquet awaiting the redeemed in Heaven.

Patience isn’t something that we can impatiently produce within ourselves. It’s something God works into our hearts as He brings forth the blossoming of His kingdom in its time. As He has been and is incredibly patient with us, then we can be patient with one another and even ourselves.

But much more than that, God’s patience is one of the avenues of His love towards us, culminating with salvation by offering up His Son as the atoning sacrifice for your sins and mine. Yet, patience is appointed for a time. We would be fools to mistake His patience for silence as many have done throughout the centuries. Just as those Magnolia buds pop every spring, so will Christ return. Those who have received His Son by faith will be “caught up in the air” with Him. Those who have rejected Him will fall into the His hands and face the judgement they once mocked.

Patience is something we all need. Sure, for the things in our lives that can drive us crazy, but more so, we need God to be patient with us. The good news is He has been! Listen to Paul’s words.

“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”  – 1 Timothy 1:16

No matter what you’ve done or where you are right now, God has been patient with you. Receive His Son Jesus by faith. Seek Him. Wait upon Him. The result is much more beautiful than any Magnolia tree.

Aphthartos, Amiantos, Amarantos

/ brianhilton9 / 1 Comment

What do you truly have?

It’s a question concerned with possession or affiliation. We frequently use the word “have” to describe our relationship to something. There are a variety of subjects in which we kick off our discourse with the words “I have.” Family. Employment. Romantic relationships. Material possessions. Wealth. The list goes on.

But do you truly have any of these things? This is a question that’s been heavily on my mind of late. I am not questioning the basic fact of relation or possession. I am more concerned with the longevity of that relationship. The things we comfortably say are ours – will they always be?

Shockingly, the answer is no for everything listed above. Think about it. A tree limb may fall on your car and total it in a matter of seconds. Your 401k account could be depleted in a single day of trading. You can lose your job at any time. Most tragically, those you love the most could perish in the blink of an eye. Every one of these things in a literal sense, are perishable.

Consider your very life. You can and will “lose” your possession of it.

This certainly isn’t a pleasant thought. Just the idea of losing these things breed our most paralyzing fears. This can drive us to several different places. To remedy the thought of losing something near and dear to us we may hold on to it so tightly so that it can’t conceivably be taken from us. Or maybe to save ourselves from any hurt, we don’t get attached to things and keep our distance. I think many of us fall somewhere in the middle, however. We try to “live life to the fullest” and go with the flow. But, if we’re honest, the fact that all things are temporary is a source of agony deep within our hearts.

It is here that we can begin to see the majesty of God’s promises in Jesus Christ. Through some simple comparing and contrasting, we see that there is something different about God’s promise of salvation and restoration in Jesus. I find the words of Peter in his first letter particularly encouraging:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Peter 1: 3-5

Peter uses three adjectives to describe the “inheritance” a believer in Jesus is given through His death and resurrection. The first is imperishable or aphthartos in Greek. This word is often used to describe something that is not liable to decay or corruption. The next is undefiled or amiantos which often speaks to being free from natural deformation or the impairment of power. The last is unfading or amarantos. The main idea is something that is not simply long lasting but a thing that can’t cease to exist in any capacity. This word is also used to describe a certain type of flower that blooms every year. We know them as perennials!

The hope believers in Jesus have is alive as Peter states because it is in the one who rose from the dead after offering Himself as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. He lives and so does our hope. We have this hope not because we toiled long and hard to take possession of it. Rather, we have this because it has been given to us. A gift from God. It anchors the soul of the born-again believer.

Woefully, the hope those who reject Jesus have is dead and false. It is in things that perish. While they may be visible, they are not eternal. They are not sworn on by the Most High as He has His promised salvation through Christ’s blood. We were made to need the true, living, everlasting God. Anything that falls short of Him is no possession at all.

Imperishable, undefiled, unfading. Is there anything we know that can be described in such ways? To the praise of God alone, the only one thing I have to my name qualifies. That is the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ, my living hope. This promise is for you too. Come to Him.

Scripture References:

1 Peter 1: 3-5 – Imperishable, undefiled, unfading

1 Peter 1:18-19 – Redemption with the imperishable & precious blood of Christ

Hebrews 6:13-20 – The highest oath, an anchor for our souls.

Matthew 24:35 – God’s words will never pass away

Romans 8:35,38-39 – What shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Because I Said So

/ brianhilton9 / 1 Comment

No child enjoys hearing these four words. They form a sentence that sends the son or daughter spiraling into a flurry of frustration, no matter the situation.

“Because I said so.”

I remember hearing these words and hating them. They made it impossible to get what I wanted. My plans didn’t prevail because a higher authority said otherwise. If I went ahead and ignored those four powerful words, I knew I could expect some sort of painful discipline.

It’s no mystery that when we’re told we can’t do something, that becomes the thing we want to do the most. But to be told we can’t do something because a certain someone said so? That’s where things get ugly.

We don’t like that because it shifts our perceived authority over our lives to someone else. It makes us feel enslaved and oppressed. We rebel and throw tantrums to try and take back some semblance of control, no matter how self-destructive.

At 25 years old, I seldom hear those words anymore but am still tempted to throw those same tantrums. It seems our world has a great way of mutely cutting us off with a wagging finger saying, “Because I said so.” How we long for the day when we can freely declare “Because I said so” and go about our business with no outside interference. Some believe that they have a self-governing life where all their decisions are made with those four simple words.

It shouldn’t take long, however, to see that we are not in control. One untimely diagnosis, one stolen credit card, one little spark catching your house on fire can all derail life as we know it. The reality of our powerlessness really tends to sneak up on us in the catastrophes. It shouldn’t have to, though.

Consider the fact that you must pay taxes. If you don’t, you’ll be thrown in prison. Does anyone really want to pay taxes? Or, take your emotions for example. Can you control how you feel? Look at something as simple as breathing. Is there a fresh air supply for your every moment because you said there would be?

What we say often doesn’t go. Even if it did, I’m not so sure we’d love the destination. I find that my way is often a way to more losses than wins.

This is why I’ve been becoming more and more okay with the truth that virtually nothing is “because I, Brian Hilton, said so.” Of course, I’m not saying that we have no ability to make decisions, but I am saying that there is one who can say those four words with no room for anyone’s rebuttal.

A lot of people don’t like that idea, which is what turns people off to God. Many have an understanding of God that is similar to their view of tyrannical dictatorships. He’s restrictive, harsh and doesn’t serve our best interests.

But if I may ask respectfully, what is the source of that understanding? Because when I open up the Bible, I see that God saves me from myself. When I look at my life, I see that I have no good thing apart from Him. When I look at my heart, I see that the only reason I can have any hope or joy at all in this life is because He says so.

Consider Romans 8:31-32 which says,

“…If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”

When we know God and walk with Him, we can’t lose. It is that fear of loss or being kept from something good that fuels our rebellion of His authority. But shown here, God’s absolute authority over all things is our best-case scenario.

However, it’s clarified that this is true “if God is for us.” This naturally begs the question – how do we get God to be for us? The answer to that is found in verse 32 as the author, Paul the Apostle, notes that God did not “spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all.” Why and how would God give up His Son?

The “why” is found many places throughout scripture, but pretty profoundly in the oft-quoted John 3:16 which reads,

“For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

It’s because God loved the world that he gave His only Son. A decision prompted by love for us and the desire for our ultimate good, not some sort of power trip.

The “how” of God’s giving up of His son is well described earlier in Romans. Consider Romans 3:25-26:

“God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice because in His forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – He did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

So, God’s love for the world motivated him to offer His son, Jesus, as a “sacrifice of atonement” which in turn “justifies…through faith,” sinners. Every one of us falls in this “sinner” category. Evidence of sin can be found in our natural position against God. Again, we want to be the ones to say, “because I said so.”

Thankfully, we are not in authority. God is. We deserve to be judged for our sins, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we have an atonement because God said and did so. We simply must believe in Jesus and turn away from our plans, to His.

This is where I’ve found a new love for this phrase. No longer does it matter what others say about us, or even what we say about ourselves. Remember, if God is for us, who can be against us? What He says about us is what goes – and He says I’m forgiven in Jesus through faith. He says I’m His child. He says I have all that I need in Him.

While our feelings might not always grasp this due to the inevitable hardships we will still face in this life, I’m thankful for the firm foundation that what God says goes. This brings freedom, security, and true comfort that isn’t shaken by circumstance.

There’s nothing that can rival the joy I partake in considering a clamoring voice listing all my inadequacies, flaws, past, present and future sins questioning God on how I could be saved. In a calm yet firm voice, God says through Jesus –

“Because I said so.”

 

Scripture References:

Isaiah 50:8-9 – “…Behold the LORD God helps me; who will declare me guilty”

Romans 8:31-39 – “…if God is for us, who can be against us?”

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 – “…I don’t even judge myself…it is the LORD who judges me…”

Daniel 3:6 – “…we have no need to answer you in this matter…”

1 John 4:4 – “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world…”

Romans 8:28 – “…all things work together for good for those who are called…”

Psalm 118:6 – “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Revelation 12:10-11 – “…the accuser of the brethren has been thrown down…”