Family Fun At Christmastime By Ewald & Beatrix Van Rensburg Sample

Patience, the Antidote to Rage

Best and worst

Give everyone a chance to talk about the best and worst moments of their day.

Where did you encounter Jesus today?

Talk to each other about how each family member encountered Jesus, and about something or someone that reminded them of Him.

• Write down all the things you learned about patience from these verses.

• Now write a good definition of patience based on the Bible verses.

Thought for the day

A good definition of patience is giving second chances; another is granting new life because that’s what God does for us in every moment, even though we hurt Him.

Patience has two meanings in the New Testament. The first has to do with never giving up and always being able to look beyond what is immediately apparent because you are in harmony with God!

The second meaning of patience is being tolerant towards someone whose behavior should drive you into a rage. In other words: Patience enables you to stay positive in difficult circumstances, and to get along with people who are difficult through the power of the Holy Spirit. God is patient in every moment!

• First, think about God, how He does things and how Jesus behaved. Then you will understand something about patience!

• Second, being patient in your relationships means no longer putting your own interests first, and tolerating people who annoy and hurt you. Why? Because they, like you, are not perfect.

• Third, patience means to forgive (seventy times seven). Why? Because patience makes you think, at every moment, of your own guilt and sin. We need to think about how God dealt with this and how Jesus acted towards people. That’s why followers of Jesus also act that way. We are in the forgiveness business; part of the forgiveness franchise! We know that God has forgiven us and what He has forgiven us for. That’s why we can forgive each other.

Activity

Spread patience wherever you go. Be a living example of God’s patience in all your relationships, especially during this Advent month of giving, fellowship and love.

Prayer

Almighty God, we know so little about what love, which is patient, really is. Our love is soiled by jealousy, wounded by rage and limited by selfishness. Teach us what patience really means, that we may love unreservedly the way You love us. Amen.

Random act of kindness

Send an encouraging message to someone who has made a mistake.

For parents only

Be patient with your children’s faults as well as your own. Teach them to learn from their mistakes and to try again.