Man In CrisisSample

Don't Push - Wait 

I haven’t been very encouraging, have I? Here’s the thing: I’m trying to help you understand that these points aren’t about saving your marriage. They are about making you the man you were always meant to be; a mountain of strength, love, and gentle compassion. 

What would happen if you put tons of work in to appease your wife and save your marriage, and she decided to bail out anyway? You wouldn’t be any further along. I’d rather see you draw close to God, become a consummate leader in godliness, and have deep relationships that go beyond your marriage than to give you some false hope that your relationship can survive.

And here’s the key...If you let God change you by dragging you through the fire of your kindling, you will come out a purified, encouraged, and powerful man of God. Then, marriage or not, you will be useful to the Kingdom.

Beyond that, you will be a real man. You will stand with giants like David, Moses, Paul, and Jesus who pursued God, stuck to their mission, and died satisfied. Each of these men found joy in the pursuit and comfort in the arms of our heavenly Father. Each stands like a granite example of love, patience, determination, and humility. 

Now, next point: Panicked men push for a resolution. I wanted the pain to end. I wanted my wife again. I wanted a lot of things. So I pushed impatiently against a door that was slammed, locked, and welded shut.

The biggest problem with patience is that we have to wait to develop it. We have to endure. We have to walk painful paths to learn how to hold up. Hebrews 5:7-9 reminds us that even Jesus had to learn obedience through pain.

The beautiful thing about suffering towards patience is that it makes you perfect, mature. It makes you more like Jesus. A man who can master himself in suffering can master himself in nearly anything. Again, this is not about saving your marriage. It’s about building your character. The new man must push through and cast aside the husk of the old man to become a new and vibrant plant. 

Let Weakness Be Your Strength. Paul's weakness kept him in mind of his dependency on Christ. Concentrate on your failure. Meditate on your inability to do the right thing. Humble yourself with these thoughts and seek strength only from the Lord. 

Don’t Manipulate. We can be so creative when it comes to convincing someone to do what we want. Refuse to do so. Don’t bow to that voice that tells you to get your way. Let things go someone else’s way this time. And wait to see what happens.

Remember That Your Timeline Doesn’t Matter. What if it takes months? Years? Moses spent forty years tending sheep and learning patience. Israel wandered in the wilderness for the same. God may not want you to wait that long, but then again, He may. If obeying God means waiting for multiplied years - will you follow? Whatever the timeline, let God do His work in your heart as you expect. Use the time to obey God and become that incredible man you are meant to be.

Challenge: Read and Meditate on James 5:7-20. Write a paragraph about the patience of a farmer and a prophet as described in this passage.