Topic: It’s Smart to Be Patient [RICK WARREN Devotional 16 August 2022]
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It’s Smart to Be Patient
BY RICK WARREN — AUGUST 16, 2022
“It’s smart to be patient.”
Proverbs 14:29 (CEV)
Your life has an ebb and flow. Sometimes God wants you to move quickly, but sometimes he wants you to slow down. As Proverbs 14:29 says, “It’s smart to be patient” (CEV).
Today and tomorrow we’re going to look together at times when God wants you to slow down.
First, you should always move slowly when you don’t have all the facts. Our culture worships impulsiveness and spontaneity. It tells you that spur-of-the-moment, “gut” decisions are the right ones.
You’ve probably heard repeatedly that you should “follow your heart.” But the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV).
Feelings often lead you in the wrong direction. So you need to rely on truth outside of yourself.
The Bible is clear about that: “What a shame—yes, how stupid!—to decide before knowing the facts!” (Proverbs 18:13 TLB).
So when you don’t yet have all the facts, slow down. Don’t rely on your gut, your heart, or your feelings. Take the time to look for objective truth outside of yourself.
Second, move slowly when you’re hurt, angry, or depressed. When you’re upset, you tend to react and retaliate rather than acting wisely.
Also Read: Open Heaven 16 August 2022 Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – LETTER TO THE SARDIS CHURCH I
James 1:19 says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (NIV).
Do you see the rhythm in that verse? It says quick, slow, slow. If you’re quick to listen and slow to speak, you’ll automatically be slow to become angry. But if you’re slow to listen and quick to speak, you’ll be quick to become angry.
Proverbs 15:18 tells you what to do instead: “Losing your temper causes a lot of trouble, but staying calm settles arguments” (CEV).
Proverbs 15:28 says it this way: “The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking” (NLT). In other words, godly people put their minds in gear before their mouths.
Sometimes you’re going to feel angry, hurt, or depressed. That’s just part of life. But the next time that happens, slow down. Proverbs 14:29 says, “Patience leads to abundant understanding, but impatience leads to stupid mistakes” (CEB).
Don’t make quick decisions that you’re going to regret.
And the same is true when you don’t have all the facts. Instead of just “following your heart,” take the time to slow down and make a careful decision.
Remember: It’s smart to be patient
Talk It Over
- Think about the last time you made a decision too quickly. What were the consequences?
- When have you slowed down recently to make a careful decision? How did you see God lead you in that?
- James 1:19 says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (NIV). Which of those things is most difficult for you? How will you commit to practicing the one that’s most difficult?
Have you trusted Jesus with your life?
The Bible says you can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot earn your way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).
If you’re ready to confess your sins and to trust Jesus with your life, start with this prayer:
“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in Jesus, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.
“I confess my sin, and I submit to Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Jesus, I want to follow you and serve you. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In your name I pray. Amen.”
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