[James Settle]

I like to think I am a good blend of both patience & judgment, although I have heard from my immediate family I am less patient with them at times and more critical compared to those I minister to or deal with. I own that and have been trying to actively work on it, however I do feel it is only human nature that you come to expect more of the people you are closest to & therefore are more expressive or demonstrative when it comes to their shortcomings simply because you know what you have poured into them. The time and effort Jesus poured into the disciples in the 3 short years they followed Him, when Peter tried to discourage Him from fulfilling His calling on earth, he literally called him Satan in sharp rebuke (KJV, 2019; Matt 16:23).

But keeping in focus this weeks devotional, I think it is important to not only ask your peers and those close to you for their honest perspective regarding how they see you at times, but also in your alone time with God, we should be like David in Psalms 139 “thou hast searched me and known me.” There is nothing about us that God doesn’t already know & if we spend time in prayer, He will reveal to us our shortcomings if we are willing to be honest with ourselves. I think it goes a long way in teaching us humility. He chastens whom he loves, and gives grace to the humble, but resist the proud. Rom. 12:3 also reminds us not to think more highly of ourselves than we should. This will help us to remain humble, but also compassionate knowing none of us were born perfect, and we are all striving to be made into that perfection in Christ Jesus.

Finally, when we aim to help others rather than ridicule or tear them down, we are building up the body of Christ as iron sharpens iron.

References

James, K. (2019). Holy Bible: King James Version, 1611 Edition.