Tag: patience

Joseph’s Shame and Glory (New Angles on the Nativity Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

The most underappreciated character in the nativity story may very well be Joseph. This man scraped by for decades to earn enough money to afford the bridal price of a very special woman. He’d walked so uprightly all his days that the Bible declared him to be dikaios, meaning “righteous in the eyes of God” (Matthew 1:19).  And the time had finally arrived for him to become a husband and a father. Then, he found out that the love of his life must have made love with another man.

While he was still grieving his loss, an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream and said, “‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins’” (Matthew 1:20-21). Joseph responded to this charge in two tremendous ways: obedience and patience.

Faith-Filled Obedience

Matthew 1:24 says, “When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary has his wife.” For many believers reading the Bible today, his response seems perfectly natural. We think, “If I had seen an angel, I would have married Mary too.” But imagine trying to explain the situation to your buddies. “I married a pregnant woman because God told me that He’d impregnated her.” If they didn’t lock you up in an insane asylum, you’d instantly become the laughingstock of your entire village! Yet Joseph still believed what God had told Him.

Reading the Hall of Faith this past week, I was astounded by the strangeness of the activities men and women completed in the name of faith. A man left all he ever knew to go to a place he didn’t know to give an inheritance he’d never see to a son he didn’t yet have (Hebrews 11:8-9)! Another man built a boat to ride waves higher than the mountains and waited for a storm that didn’t come for over half a century (Hebrews 11:7). And now Joseph was being told to believe that his betrothed was bearing the literal son of God. In faith, Joseph accepted current disgrace so that he could embrace future glory.

Painful Patience

Secondly, Matthew 1:25 says, “Joseph did not have sexual relations with Mary until her son was born.” Most of us can’t wait to have sex until after we’re married. Imagine not being able to have it until almost a full year after that! But one of the most important lessons of the kingdom is that patience precedes promotion.

Joseph’s patience ensured that no one could call Jesus’ divinity into question on account of him. And more than that, it allowed him to become the adopted father of God Himself. The harder the season of waiting, the greater the glory of receiving. That is why apostle Paul says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Conclusion

When we talk about Christmas, we often remember the person of Jesus. Then we celebrate Mary. But we neglect Joseph. This righteous man sacrificed all and waited long to father the Messiah of the world. If that isn’t a glorious example to emulate, I don’t know what is!

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

(Romans 8:18)

Door of Delayed Gratification (Healing House Pt. 3)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Pt. 1, “Reframing”, click here. For Pt. 2, “Foundation of Forgiveness”, click here.

One of the most important concepts my father taught me was the principle of delayed gratification. I learned that some of the best things in life can only be received by enduring patiently. This principle has served me well throughout my life. Study now, party later. Work now, rest later. Invest now, spend later. But somewhere along the way, this principle became my eleventh commandment: “Thou shalt not enjoy now. Thou shalt reap later.”

Abiding by this commandment is like being trapped inside on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The front door of opportunity is locked. And you know it’ll open some time, but you don’t know when.

Three of the most common mistakes people make when they are stuck in this situation are: 1. Wallowing in self-pity; 2. Trying to escape; 3. Working the day away.

Self-Pity

Self-pity is a temptation for all of us, especially for those who spend most of our time consumed by work. We’ve worked through the week. Heck, we’ve worked through most of the weekend too. But now we want to step into a much needed break, and the kid gets sick, COVID strikes, or that deadline bears down on us with a vengeance. Through our windows we can see everyone else walking their dogs, kissing their sweethearts, and lounging in the sun. Why can’t that be us? Why is that never us?

King David once said a simple yet profound statement, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15). He said this because he trusted in the LORD’s absolute sovereignty. We don’t fully understand what lies beyond that door even when we really think we do. Even the most prescient among us can only predict the future with limited accuracy, but God knows it definitively. And He is working toward the one that will bring us the most joy and Him the most glory.

Escape

Secondly, we may be tempted to try to escape our situation. If we apply to enough job postings, we’re sure to find a better gig. If we buy a ticket to the west coast, we’re sure to find our way. As people say, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” But your will may not be God’s way.

For instance, it was not Joseph’s will to be sold into slavery (Genesis 37) or to be imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit (Genesis 39). But instead of chafing at his present circumstances, he made the best of them. Joseph was the best servant and the best prisoner because he understood that that was God’s lot for him at the moment. And God rewarded his faithfulness by making him prime minster of the most powerful nation in the world (Genesis 41)!

Slaving Away

Lastly, when the door we’re looking to step through remains shut, we may be tempted to dedicate all of our resources to work. We may think that our perpetual slaving away is the true mark of faithfulness. But King Solomon, one of the hardest working, most accomplished men in the Bible said, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2). For years, I lived under the lie that “rest is for the blessed”, that rest is a luxury. But there’s a reason that God included the Sabbath in the original ten commandments (Exodus 20:8).

We must remember that the house that we’re trapped in has windows. Even if we can’t go outside, we can appreciate the view. We can dust off the neglected treasures God has stored up for us in the attic of our homes. We can even take a nap. Even though some options are cut off from us right now, that doesn’t mean that we are left with none.

Conclusion

We cannot wrestle open the doors of opportunities in our life through self-pity, desertion, or overworking. The Bible says, “All my days were written in your book before I even came to be” (Psalm 139:16). This means that God knows when we entered this house, and He knows when we’re supposed to leave it. Until He opens that door, we should cherish all that we can today. And we should trust in the bright hope of another beautiful Sunday afternoon tomorrow.

“But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”

(2 Chronicles 15:7)

Love is Kind (Love Is… Part 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1, Love is Patient, click here.

I still remember the day I found out that I was going to have a little brother. I jubilated for days while the rest of my family groaned (after having two sons, they were really hoping for a daughter). I counted the days till I’d have a mini-me to teach the glorious wonders of basketball, video games, and the Word. Then he was born.

I quickly found out that having a younger sibling was far less about instructing him to come up to my level and far more about coming down to his. I forced goofy grins as I hefted his chubby little body into the air for the hundredth time. I bit my tongue as we watched reruns of Peppa Pig when I’d much rather be enjoying a new season of The Simpsons. In short, I learned the sacrificial, giving nature of love.

Love Is

1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love is kind.” The Greek word translated “kind” is “chrésteuomai”, meaning “to be full of service to others”. Love is far more than a feeling of goodwill toward another. It is an inward emotion that leads to outward action. That is why Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NLT).

Just as faith without works is dead (James 2:17), so is love without kindness. Apostle James said, “Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do” (James 2:15-16 NLT)? Love is more than flowery sentiment and good vibrations (1 John 3:18). It’s sacrificing one’s time, energy, and money for the good of another.

Love Isn’t

Kindness encompasses what we refrain from doing as well. “Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged” (1 Corinthians 13:5 NLT).

Firstly, love doesn’t demand its own way. It permits the other to choose—the restaurant, the movie, the vacation getaway—even when its well within one’s right to unilaterally make the decision. In doing so, we humbly value others over ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

 Secondly, love isn’t irritable. As we discussed last week, love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4). It puts up with the sticky hands and screaming voices, the carpet stains and broken dishes, the gaming at 3 AM and the napping at 3 PM.

Lastly, love isn’t vindictive. Just as God flung our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), so we must forgive one another’s faults. No longer should we see them as Lying Laurie or Lazy Lucas. We must see them with the eyes of Christ—as new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Conclusion

 After hearing about how much love demands, it could be easy to try replace it with a cheap substitute. But just as any true Coke lover knows that aspartame is a poor replacement for sugar, real love can never be exchanged. We must love because we’re made in the image of the God of love (Genesis 1:27). And love is kind.

“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”

(1 John 4:16)