PBPGINFWMY

Good Morning!

Patience … a commodity many lack and most desire. I once asked God to teach me patience … expecting the immediate miraculous endowment of that which I so severely need. I was surprised when I began to encounter difficulties that drove me to the brink rather than the peaceful acceptance of occurrences. I guess I learned that patience is something God wants to develop in us rather than to endow us with … at least that is true for me.

Back in the early 1970’s I attended a seminar in which each attendee was given a button that read:
PBPGINFWMY. Now I know that some of you are attempting to pronounce this difficult word so I will let you off the hook. This message on this strange button was “please be patient God is not finished with me yet”. And that is a true statement.

You know some folks believe that Christian people are supposed to be perfect. Shoot, some Christians think that they have to be perfect. What a frustrating idea. What we fail to realize is that we are a work in progress – sinners being turned into saints day by day, pressure by pressure, until that day when God calls us home. I was thinking about what Jesus said to the Pharisee named Nicodemus … it is one of the few lengthy one on ones that we see from Jesus … let’s listen in:

John 3:1-21 (English Standard Version)
You Must Be Born Again
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."
3Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?"
5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
9Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
10Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God So Loved the World
16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

I highlighted verses 20 and 21 because there is an important message for Christians to comprehend in these two verses. As a believer, you are being exposed to the Light. And that exposure can be frustrating because you begin to realize who you really are … and sometimes the picture isn’t so pretty. As I was thinking about this, I was picturing my neighbor and friend, Damon Douglas, who works on cars. The few times I have watched him I notice he attempts to get light into the work area. Why? He knows that light will allow him to see more clearly so he can fix the car. There are a number of occupations that require light to do the work efficiently. And failure to have the light can lead to disaster. I know this from experience.

The encouragement I want to share with you, though, is to understand that God doesn’t expect instant sainthood from you. Growing in Christ is a process … day by day, pressure by pressure, ups and downs, spiritual highs and spiritual lows. So be patient – God is not finished with you yet. He is making a beautiful diamond.

Agape’


Mr. Jim