Patience vs. Anger (Can they be related?)

As I was reading my Bible preparing for the Patience themed Bible study one week, I came across Proverbs fifteen.  In this chapter there are multiple verses on controlling or turning away anger.  I figure this isn't the typical way to go about studying patience, but these scriptures stood out to me.  For this is something I have been struggling with recently (also off and on in my past).  I used to get very angry when I was young.  I would get so mad at times, my entire face would become blood red and look like it was going to explode.  Since my younger years, I have become much more wise when it comes to controlling my temper.  But this does not mean I don't throw my control out the window at times.  The other day, for the first time in a while, I let my feelings run away with me; I acted very immaturely.

My patience that day was pretty much non-existent from the start.  Hormones could have had something to do with it, but I'm the one who spiraled out of control.  Do you ever have those days where it just seems to start off in an irritable way, which can lead to many impatient actions?

Proverbs 15 stuck out to me this particular week, and here are a few verses that I believe pertain to the topic we were discussing... (NLT)

Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare."

Proverbs 15:18, "A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them."

Proverbs 15:28,"The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil."

A lot of times, impatience turns into anger...  Frustration can be a form of impatience... We should work hard to develop our patience, so that we will not be easily angry or frustrated.

Patience Definition:

(Noun) The power or capacity to endure without complaint something difficult or disagreeable; forbearance; long-suffering.

(Adj.) Bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity; not hasty or impetuous.

After reading the definition of Patience, I felt pretty infantile; not wise at all.  Do you think people are born with patient tendency? Or does everyone struggle with it/have to develop it in similar ways?  On a scale of one to ten how would you rate your development of patience?  

Blessings!

~S*

What's Your Favorite Scripture (Part 2)

Another favorite scripture of the group was Matthew chapter five.  Also known as the "Sermon on the Mount".  I encourage you to read the entire chapter this week, but will touch on a few verses that stuck out to one of the Bible study's members...

While discussing verses 13-16, we began asking each other if we were the salt and light that we should be to those around us.  We also asked each other what this area of scripture meant, and how we could apply it to our lives.  One member mentioned that darkness is only the absence of light.  How we speak or what we talk about/call other people is our representation of Christ.  Reconciliation, forgiveness, repentance, and loving others are all ways we can shine our light in the darkness.

Verse 28 brought up a bit of discussion... We all agreed that, when we think of lust, we usually associate it to men.  Women are not as drawn in by the looks of a guy, while men can totally fall into sin just by looking at a woman.  We asked each other if, in society today, men fall prey to the lust of the eye as much as they used to, since provocative clothing etc... is all around them all the time.  One of the girls gave this great analogy: Dogs love treats.  A dog could be in a room surrounded by treats, and he could enjoy eating every single one of them.  But when tomorrow comes around, he will still love treats.  He will not get tired of them or say "Oh, I've had a lot of treats lately..." or "I can get a treat whenever I want, so why would I want one now..."  He would always want more treats.  Our conclusion... It doesn't matter how much we are surrounded by the provocative clothes or sexy advertising of this world... It is still tempting, and it always will be. 

Part two of this verse's discussion brought up the point of how we as women can help prevent lust.  Dressing appropriately, not flirting, etc... are great examples of how we can be a better sister in Christ to all of our fellow brothers out there.  One idea is to think of the people around you (especially guys) as true brothers and sisters.  This will help you put your actions and reactions to people in a better perspective. 

Verses 31-37 talk about Divorce and Oaths/Promises...  What great topics to put one after another.  One more downfall of our current world is not keeping our promises.  Don't make a promise that you can't keep.  When you say I do, that means for better or for worse, in sickness and in health...  Not divorce when: I don't feel the spark between us anymore, I see another person over there that I would like to get to know better, or you don't have any money anymore so why are we still together...  A promise should be a lasting covenant.  Also like verse 37 says so clearly, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."  If you don't make promises, you can't break them.  Be a person of your word... Don't allow the words of your mouth to become unreliable.

Verse 48 is very humbling.  "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  He wants us to strive for perfection.  This is a verse that gets overlooked a lot.  Yes, it is impossible for us to be perfect, but we should have the same attitude as Jesus had... We should strive for perfection as best we can. 

What are some of the verses of Matthew chapter five that really stand out to you?  Have you ever thought about what we discussed above?  What would you add to our discussion about these selected verses?

Blessings!

~ S*

What's Your Favortie Scripture? (Part 1)

At the Bible study one week we chose to share our favorite passages of scripture and explain why they are important to us.  Below are a few of the scriptures mentioned and some of the thoughts behind them:

1 Peter 1:3-9 This passage is a great reminder of how precious our relationship with God is, and how important our faith in Him is.  Verse seven talks about gold and declares that our faith in God is more valuable than gold.  If you really think about that... Gold is one of the most valuable things in the world today.  All nations use gold and consider it a treasure.  So how ultimately valuable is our faith in God!?!  Verse nine: "The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls."

Matthew 7:1-6 "Do Not Judge Others" This passage brought about a bit of discussion on 1 Corinthians 5 as well.  In 1 Corinthians it talks about expelling the immoral brother.  Verse 12-13a says, "It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside[of the church]..."  So what do you think?  Are we supposed to judge others or not?  After bringing up this question and our discussion, the conclusion I came up with is as follows:

There are times when judging others is appropriate.   We are not supposed to judge others with a prideful "I'm better than you" attitude.  Our judging them should be out of love and having that person's best interests in mind.  It was also brought up that the Bible tells us how to approach a brother who is sinning. (Matthew 18:15-17)  There are certain ways to go about telling the brother.  Don't do it with the intent of getting the person in trouble, but pull him aside quietly to address it in private.  If he refuses to listen, address it with a couple more witnesses.  If he still doesn't listen, it may be necessary to expel that person from the church.  But the intent is never to expel them, it is to save them from their sin.  Also, learn all sides of the story before making a judgment.  Don't be in a hurry to judge someone in a negative light.  They are "innocent until proven guilty".

More to come!  What is your favorite passage of scripture and why?  I'd love to read them below!

Blessings! 

~ S*

Even the Greatest Men Fell

In light of my last two posts I wanted to take this opportunity to say that even the greatest people are not perfect. I was chatting with a friend a few weeks ago, and we began to discuss how even the greatest men in the Bible fell. Not only did they fall, but a lot of those who fell were involved in some form of sexual sin.

Scriptures for this week's study:

Abraham: Genesis 16:1-16; Psalm 83:5-6

Samson: Judges 16

King David: 2 Samuel 11; 12; 16:15-23

Solomon: 1 Kings 11:1-13 (Ecclesiastes)

Abraham was credited with righteousness (Gen. 15:6); however, he was not perfect. God promised to give him descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky (Gen. 15) Abraham believed Him, but still tried to take matters in his own hands by lying with Hagar. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, and the Israelites always had trouble with the Ishmael's descendants (to this day). 

Samson was a great judge during the time of Israel's continual cycle of sin, repentance, redemption, etc... He was Israel's redeemer/leader at the time. But after multiple instances with women, Samson ended up with Delilah. Even though Samson family warned him, he still didn't listen. This not only cost him his life, but probably shortened Israel's redemption period by decades...

King David the "man after God's own heart" and one of the greatest (if not the greatest) kings of Israel. He served God well, but a couple wrong moves (lust, adultery, murder) and he not only lost a son(2 Samuel 12:18), but also suffered great humiliation toward the end of his reign(2 Samuel 16:22).

King Solomon had more wisdom than any other man before or after him, but even that didn't keep him from falling. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines... (Wow... I can't even begin to fathom that... He could have gone 2.7 years without sleeping with the same woman if he'd have wanted to... Anyways....) And the number of wives wasn't really the issue at this time in history. The problem was where the women were from and what they believed. In his old age Solomon was led to follow other gods because of his many wives... This may have been what started Israel's fall until Jesus came...

One mistake can cost you a lot, but that does not mean it is the end of the world. Jesus Redeemed us by dieing on the cross for our sins. We are forgiven of all of them. We are no longer under the old covenant, but are under the new!

John 8:1-11, "Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”"

You are forgiven, but don't keep practicing the sin. And remember God truly does forgive and forget.

Blessings!
~ S*

Don't Settle!

Before reading this post, I encourage you to grab a notebook and your favorite writing utensil and use this post for your own personal study/benefit. I'm going to ask a lot of questions, so write down on your own piece of paper what you think the answers to these questions are... I pray that this post blesses you and gives you insight to your future and the relationships it may (or may not) hold! Blessings! ~ S*

Still looking for your future spouse? Beginning to wonder if they even exist? Do you have high standards? Are there specific Biblical characteristics you are looking for? If not, should there be?

I have always had my standards when it comes to finding a future husband. I am not going to settle for anything other than God's best for me. In the past I have struggled with "Letting Go and letting God." But recently I have moved forward in my trust in God.

I have witnessed in the past few years a few relationships. Some of the people settled, and some of them did not! I believe God has a specific person out there for me to marry. This is not to say I couldn't marry someone else, but I think God has that perfect plan. It is my job to trust in Him to bring that plan into fruition, and not get impatient and marry the first guy that comes along. Below are some examples for us to examine:

Example A: Bob has just graduated High School. He is a Christian guy, who has been raised in a Christian home. He finally found a girl he thinks could be the one. The only catch, she is a brand new (baby) Christian. Before I continue, let me ask a couple questions... What should Bob do? Should he date this girl? If so, what boundaries should he set up before moving on with the relationship? What scriptures come to mind?... Okay, well, Bob decides to date this girl. While doing so he proceeds to kiss her and cuddle with her a bit. After a few months have passed, the relationship between Bob and his new girlfriend begins to have some strain... What do you think would cause strain in their relationship? How do you think it could be handled? How do you think it could have been prevented? Well, this relationship ended in a break up... It left Bob a bit heartbroken. Why? You may ask... He really thought that this relationship could end in marriage. He really gave some of his heart away to this young woman. Now he has to live with the decisions he made while in this relationship. He will not be able to take back the kisses and physical actions he made towards this young lady. His future wife can no longer be the first to receive these actions. Does Bob regret them? Yes... Why did he do it? Bob wanted to be an example to this young woman... He wanted to help her relationship with the Lord grow and mature. What could he have done differently that may have produced a better outcome? Do you think there is anything Bob should do now that the relationship is over? If so, what? What does the Bible say about this kind of relationship? What can you learn from this example?

Example B: Steve glances back across the room to catch another look from Lindsey... "She is so beautiful..." He thinks as he watches her explain a function on the store's new exercise machine. She is constantly happy, and always makes me laugh... I wonder what she is doing on Saturday night?" Lindsey too has been noticing Steve. They have been holding longer conversations in the break room, and she is beginning to wonder if their relationship could be something more... The only catch... She is a born again Christian, and he doesn't' have a relationship with the Lord at all. What should Lindsey do? What should Steve do? How should these early feelings be handled? As time progresses, Lindsey decides to invite Steve to her church. He begins attending, and after a few months, he gives his heart to the Lord! Now what should Lindsey do? What should Steve do? Should they move on into a "beyond friendship" kind of relationship? Why or why not? Steve and Lindsey end up dating... The people around Lindsey begin to notice that she no longer has time for her church family. She is acting a little weird... Not herself... Steve tells Lindsey that he isn't really comfortable mingling with everyone after the service. So instead of staying after the service to fellowship, they get up together and head out almost before anyone has the chance to say hello... What is going on in this relationship? What should Steve do? What should Lindsey do? A few months later Steve and Lindsey announce that they are engaged! How exciting! After their announcement they are hardly ever seen at Lindsey's church... There are rumors floating around that they began attending another church a little closer to Steve's home. A few months later, wedding invitations are sent out, and the wedding takes place at a church that neither the bride nor groom attend. What are your thoughts on this relationship? Will this marriage last? If not why? If so why or how? Less than a year after the wedding, Lindsey's original church family begins to see her attend the services without her groom... More time passes and the news is finally announced that Lindsey and Steve are getting a divorce... What could have prevented this? What does the Bible say concerning this relationship? What can you learn from this example?

Example C: Lori is a wonderful woman of God. She is now in her thirties, and has seen her younger brother get married to a beautiful woman that their family has know for many years. She is also witnessing her younger sister in a wonderful relationship with a young man of God. "When is it going to be my turn, Lord?" She has asked a thousand times. She has wanted to get married since she was a little girl. Why the long wait? But she doesn't let this discourage her, instead she is excited and happy for her younger siblings! And she begins to use her single time to bring honor and glory to God. To follow His leading and direction for her life. Before she knows it a handsome man steps through the doorway of church one Sunday morning. She can't help but notice him. Yes, he is handsome, but even more importantly he has this look about him... What kind of look? How do you think Lori should proceed? What questions should be asked? After striking up their first conversation Lori can tell that she has found a man following after the Lord. Before long their relationship progresses to a courtship. They get to know each others families. They never put themselves in tempting situations, and possibly best of all, neither of them have given away their first kiss! Together they establish boundaries and make decisions for their relationship based on what they think God would have them do. What do you think about this relationship? How should it be handled? What should Lori do? What should the man do? What is their next step? After a while Lori comes home with a ring on her finger. She is absolutely glowing with excitement! Was is worth the wait? She will tell you it was, with out a doubt. So, does this story have a happy ending? Yes! After a beautiful first kiss wedding and honeymoon, this couple is enjoying a wonderful life together. A life in which they put God first, and follow His leading and direction for their life! Could this have turned out any better? Will they have struggles along the way? What does the Bible say concerning this relationship? What can you learn from this example?

Want more examples? If so let me know... I hope that you took the time to really go over each of these situations. Which situation do you want for your life? What outcome do you want to have? Have you lived in any of these people's shoes? What can you learn from your mistakes? Are you willing to change some of your standards? What kind of changes do you think need to be made for yourself? Why?

Please let me know if this post blessed you in any way. I would love to hear from you! Do you have a topic you would like me to post about? I would love to hear your thoughts! If you have any questions pertaining to this post (or any other), please send me an e-mail and I would be happy to answer. girlbiblestudy@hotmail.com
Blessings to you as you grow in your relationship with the Lord!
~ S*