Passionate Patience; Romans 5-8

May the mumbling commence!

I wait expectantly for what God will do next.  I try to wait with patience and hope, because I know that the Lord will fill to overflowing. 

We know about waiting in all its types and forms.  Another portion of waiting is drawing to a close.  Soon, I will hear how all my preparations have borne fruit as I find out who I will be cast as in the Family Community Theatre production of The Hobbit this late summer and early fall.

I have done many things to prepare myself for auditions.  I combed over the story numerous times and took notes on the characters.  I read scholarly works on the story.  I have practiced reading the story aloud.

Yes waiting is more than just a sedentary process.  Good waiting is waiting with a purpose in mind.  Good waiting is often rewarded in this world.

Yet good waiting is always rewarded when it comes to our waiting on the Lord.  Read from Romans chapter five (Peterson’s The Message paraphrase):

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.  In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged.  Quite the contrary – we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Verses 3-5)

And good waiting on the Lord often happens in less than comfortable circumstances.  Be assured trouble will come.  Be assured also that God will fill us to overflowing as we wait well.  Paul calls this kind of waiting a passionate patience.  Those are two words that we don’t often put together. 

Waiting well is waiting with passion – looking eagerly for what God will do next.  There is neither reason nor time to feel shortchanged.  In fact, we will be overwhelmed by the generosity of God.

As we wait well with passionate resolve, let us share that generosity that God show us to the people around us.  Sharing God’s generosity is a part of waiting well, waiting passionately.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out