Today’s Verse:
I am delivered from the power of darkness (Colossians 1:13 NKJV).
In Context:
We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his
glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May
you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the
inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For
he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the
Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our
sins. (Colossians 1: 11-14 NLT)
I know, I know. It’s taken me a long time to do 10 days
worth of these “Renewing the Mind” verses.
I had intended to do more than one a week, but unfortunately, life gets
in the way. J I
really like this verse though, and especially when put into context of the
verses right before and after it. It’s
very hopeful, encouraging, and appreciated after a couple of weeks of verses
that, for me, were more challenging to delve into during this particular time
of my life. What stands out for me in the verses above are the words endurance and patience. Paul is praying
for the church he is writing to, praying that they will have the endurance and
patience they need to go on in their faith, to live with joy, always thanking
God. As I have grown and developed as a mother, wife, daughter, friend, and
employee in the child care and education career path, I have developed what I
consider a pretty decent measure of patience.
Endurance, well, I have that too as I always preferred cross-country
running to track and field and waiting on toddlers to complete a task has
taught me to smile at the little things while I wait, just as they do.
Although I have a good dose of patience and endurance
already, I am also keenly aware when my patience is running thin, and
especially when my endurance is hanging on by a thread. That’s when I need to remember Paul’s prayer,
that God will provide me with all the patience and endurance I need. As my mom often says, “Life gets tedious
sometimes.” It’s during those “tedious”
moments that we need to pray for God’s gift of patience and endurance the
most. During these times, our mindset
should be one of thanking the Father for all we have already been blessed with,
despite whatever tedious, daily annoyances get in the way. There will ALWAYS be something we can
complain about, something we can be irritated with, something that chips away
at our patience and endurance for day –to-day life. There will always be
another bill, another unexpected delay, another drama or heartbreak, another tragedy
of this broken world. Instead, in
renewing my mind this week, this day, I chose patience, endurance, and joy over
frustration and bitterness. I chose to
seek the light over the dark. I chose to be thankful instead of resentful. Life is not perfect, and it never will be,
but once again, so much of renewing our minds is about putting life in the
right perspective, the right light. Don’t
let others bring you down. Instead, bring your tedious annoyances up to the Father.
Let Him take them off your plate and give you true joy and peace in its
place.
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