"Do not fret because of evildoers" (Psalm 37:1).
• Am I envious or jealous?
"Be patient and stand firm. . . . Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged" (James 5:8–9, NIV).
• Am I materialistic? Am I dominated by the spirit of this world?
"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above" (Colossians 3:1).
• Have I really dealt with the "secular mentality"?
"For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" (Philippians 4:11, NIV).
• Do I realize that God permits adverse circumstances, irritations, and stress to buffet me in order that through His grace I might learn to transcend self and grow in love and spiritual stature?
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2–4).
Helping Strategy
1. Tactfully ask the inquirer if he or she has ever received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Explain "Steps to Peace with God," page 11.
2. Encourage the impatient person to:
A. Admit having a problem. Impatience is sin and should be dealt with.
B. Identify the areas of impatience and the circumstances that trigger
this negative response.
C. Pray about these circumstances daily:
(1) Confess the impatience as sin, asking God's forgiveness
(1 John 1:9).
(2) Ask God for sensitivity to this area of failure and for help in
bringing it under control.
D. Resolve to work on the problem:
(1) Because impatient people seem to be dominated by a mind-set
which causes them to respond negatively to irritations, stresses, and provocations, the inquirer should be willing to let God work
in him or her to produce patience. He or she must resolve to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
(2) Because impatience is a characteristic of the "old nature"
(Colossians 3:9–10), the "put off—put on" principle should be practiced. Impatience is a response that must be "unlearned." Paul says, "But I see another law at work . . . waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin. . . . What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:23–25, NIV). Thus:
• I must renounce my impatience—"put off."
• I must surrender a little more each day as I claim His power in faith—"put off" + "put on" (Galatians 2:20; 2 Timothy 1:7).
• I then claim His victory, His love, and His patience as the fruit of the Spirit—"put on" (1 Corinthians 13:4–5; Galatians 5:22).
E. Request the help of another Christian to monitor your patient vs.
impatient responses, recording both victories or failures.
F. Develop the discipline of daily Bible reading and study, Scripture
memorization, and prayer.
G. Seek out other Christians of like mind in a Bible-teaching church for
fellowship and Bible study.
Scripture
"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass" (Psalm 37:7).
"We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint . . ." (Romans 5:3–5).
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13:4–5, NIV).
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22–23).
"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged.The Judge is standing at the door!" (James 5:7–8, NIV).
Other suggested Scriptures:
Colossians 3:9–10 2 Peter 1:5–9, NIV
PEACE
Background
In our restless age there is a worldwide longing for peace. The book Peace with God by Billy Graham has sold millions of copies in many languages, an indication of this longing. In some languages, such as Arabic and Hebrew, the standard greeting is "peace." But only as Jesus Christ possesses our hearts can we know true peace. In this section, we shall deal with two aspects of peace. Peace with God:
Peace with God comes to us in the forgiveness of sin through the merit and suffering of Jesus Christ.
Peace with God means a cessation of our hostility toward Him. When a person confesses his or her sinful pride, admits defeat, and submits to God, the war with Him is over: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).
Peace with God means reconciliation with Him. We are no longer alienated: "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight" (Colossians 1:21–22).
". . . to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20).
"That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them" (2 Corinthians 5:19, NIV).
Peace with God brings a sense of well-being and confidence: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13, NIV). The Peace of God:
The peace of God is the legacy of Christian believers and comes as we walk in obedience to His will for our lives. Many Christians have peace with God but have never gone on to experience the peace of God in their lives. They are torn with anxieties and fears that destroy their spiritual stability and joy. Peace is a gift from God and the rightful legacy of all believers, but