Impatience at Christmas

Last night while doing last-minute prep for a Christmas party we were hosting for the neighbors, I became a bit snarky with our kids, wondering why they were picking out their Christmas outfits when I needed help.  Now! 

 

Reading in Exodus 32:1 today, it struck me how grievous the sins are that people commit when they lose their patience.  "Up, make us gods who shall go before us," the people said to Aaron when Moses was talking with God too long.  The God that had just brought them out of Egypt with breathtaking signs and wonders.  Words like cheeky and presumptuous come to mind. 

Or:  "Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her," suggested Sarah, when God withheld the promised child for a number of years. 

 

And, while we may not think that our impatience is of the magnitude of our Old Testament siblings, look at the damage it does:  to our relationships, our wallets, our integrity, our trust. 

And remember how often God tells us to wait on Him. 

At the Red Sea, these same folks heard Moses say, The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. 

Psalm 27:14 - Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.  Psalm 25:3  And verse 21: May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. 

Finally, God speaks to us through Isaiah:  “In returning and rest you shall be saved;

in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”  (30:15)  Can we rest in Him alone . . . and wait? 

 

By His grace, yes.  In His power, yes.  With His Spirit, yes.  Apart from Him, we can do nothing. 

 

The next time you are tempted to sigh, breathe heavily, snap at someone you love, stop.  Wait.  Rest. 

And ask forgiveness for your snarkiness.  In the end, everyone helped more cheerfully than
the way I asked, and everything got done with lots of time to spare. 

Next time, maybe I'll remember to wait on Him before I speak.