Your Daily Devotional for September 8, 2007

 

September 8,  2007

 

 

Our Influence during Trials

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

 

Romans 12:19-21

 

 

The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and quiet manner. At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion. "What's the trouble, Mr. Brooks?" he asked. "The trouble is that I'm in a hurry, but God isn't!"

 

As we saw yesterday, God has a purpose for the trials and times of waiting in our lives. Although we may not see it, God desires to grow us and draw us closer to Him during these times. As we are going through trials or hard times, we are having an influence on others. Others are seeing our example and are watching our reactions.

 

Someone once said, "Longsuffering is the grace of the man who could revenge himself and does not." There will be times in each of our lives when we have the opportunity to avenge a wrong done to us, but these are the times God desires us to have longsuffering. We must be so careful how we react during these situations because we have an influence on many different people.

 

We have an influence on our families. Because we spend so much time with our families, there will be times when we get upset or are wronged by a family member. It is during these times when we must ask the Lord for patience. We must not strike back in anger or out of retribution. The Holy Spirit enables us to have patience during these times.

 

I once heard the quote, "A good marriage is not the result of finding the right person; it is a result of being the right person." We must ask the Holy Spirit each day to help us be the right person and to react properly to our families.

 

Also, we have an influence with the people around us. Like most fruits of the Spirit, longsuffering is the product of love. First Corinthians 13:4 says, "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." Charity has patience through the injustices, mistakes, and trials. Charity helps us focus on God when others wrong us.

 

Whether we see it or not, others are watching us. Whether it's a neighbor, coworker, or even someone we don't know; other people are watching our reactions during difficult times. The world thinks nothing of retaliating or screaming out in anger, but as Christians, God desires that we would be a testimony to those around us by having patience. It is often the silent witness of a Christian living for God that makes the greatest impact in the lives of others.

 

Friend, we have an influence on others while we are going through trials. Sometimes we can become so focused on ourselves and our own hurt that we fail to see that others are watching. We must be careful not to react in anger, but to have patience when things go wrong.

 

How are you influencing those around you today? What are they seeing in your life? Take time now to ask God to help you respond correctly in difficult situations. Ask Him to help you be a good influence to those around you today.

 

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

Proverbs 3-5 • 2 Corinthians 1

 

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