A judgmental spirit towards people is a dangerous thing. It leads to doubt, mistrust and broken relationships. But there is another form of judgment that is far more destructive: the practice of judging God.
When you begin to question God’s faithfulness when circumstances are not what you wanted, you are actually judging God. When your general response to life is that life is a bummer or that life stinks, you are judging God.
Why?
Because the Holy Spirit says that God is causing all the events in your life to be a good thing for you. So, when you look at life and fail to see God’s goodness, even in the painful things, you are judging God. You are critiquing God based upon your perception of how your life is going. Not a good idea.
When things are going well, we tend to be okay with God’s control. But, when things are painful, we can be frustrated, even angry. When there is loss of life, when a job ends, when there is hurt in a relationship, the praise of God can be distant from our lips.
Praise brings the comfort of God in the middle of the hurt and loss. Your savior knew pain and loss in ways you cannot imagine so that he would be there for you in your need.
Patience is the Holy Spirit’s path in difficult times. Patience is not something that is accomplished by human effort alone. Patience is the fruit of God’s Spirit. Patience is the art of trusting God and not judging him.
“Patience is accepting problems without complaining. trusting that God will care for me.”
Prayer for patience:
Dear God, you are always patient and loving with me. Please help me to be patient, too. I know that you cause everything to happen for my good, and you work things out at the right time. Help me to trust you and not complain when things are difficult. In Jesus name, Amen.
Taken from Get Wisdom! by Ruth Younts
4 thoughts on “Patience – The Art of not Judging God”
I have been struggling with a major move our family is getting ready to do. My husband is going to be a Senior Pastor at a small church on the west side of Michigan 2.5 hours from where we are now. We have three teenagers who we have to switch schools for and I have to give up my job. I have sunk into a depression and each day is hard to get started without going into the pit. I am so scared to move. We are going from suburban area to nothing but farmland. Plus I have to get a new job. So much stuff and it is all so painful, especially to leave my current church as those people there are my family. I want to hear from God himself that it will be OK. I want him to give me peace about this but I just can’t find it most of the time. I have to remember that fear doesn’t come from the Lord and that he won’t harm me but to prosper me. But at the times when I am feeling so depressed (every morning for sure), it is hard to remember that. We are in limbo right now awaiting a home to move into (we have to rent), and needing to get the kids into school so one of ours can try out for the soccer team at whatever school they may be attending. Again, very scared.
Dana,
Sounds like a scary time in your life. Essentially your world is being turned upside down. Let me encourage you to revisit Job and watch his world be turned upside down too. But what God allows through Job’s hardships is for us to see some of the events that take place with God. Job couldn’t see the conversations going on between satan and God. He didn’t know he wouldn’t die, and didn’t know it would eventually end as we do in our reading.
The same is for you. You can’t see the workings of God. God commands us to simply trust that He is working all for our good and his Glory.
There are times when pain comes our way, but it is for our good. “How so?”, you may ask.
Consider this, a child and his mother are in the doctors office. The child clearly has a cut that has led to blood poisoning. You can see the red streaks up the little one’s leg. The doctor knows this will eventually lead to death. So he prepares the antibiotic shot to administer to the child. Just then the mother objects, “You won’t stick my child with that needle! That will hurt him!” This is true. It will hurt for a moment. But the doctor replies, “Ma’am you must trust me, this is what is best for the child. If I do not hurt him at this point, he will eventually die a painful death.”
You are in a similar situation as well as your whole family. You know the pain of moving is approaching quickly and it will hurt. Trust God that it is for your good and more importantly, your children are watching to see how their parents react to this as well. They will face times like this in their future if the Lord permits. Will they look back and remember, “Dad and mom trusted God and were content with the situation He had given them when they went through that rough time. I can trust God too!”
Be encouraged!
In Christ,
Guy
I know how you feel. We are also waiting on the Lord and it is very hard. All I do when things get me down is to ask Him for a verse or a song to help me. I have found “the voice of truth” by casting crowns helps. I hope this does not sound trite, but finding a praise song that speaks to your spirit and lifts you up really makes a difference, God inhabits the praises of His people. He will speak to you because He loves you so much, trust is so hard in our society and trusting not only does He love you, but that He will do what He knows is best for you is hard. He does love you, He is calling you out of your comfort zone to be used in another place. You may not see it, but you are blessed and you are going to be a blessing in the new place. Again, I don’t know if this helps, but FEAR is just False Evidence Appearing Real. The enemy is working overtime to stifle you, you have to ask yourself why? You are working for a lifechanger named Jesus, the enemy wants to put you out of business. We, as a fellow believer, need you to focus this is life and death and we need everyone we can. You are important to Jesus, God bless you and send His angels to give you strength. Love in Christ 🙂
Dear Dana,
I’m sure God will answer you (if He hasn’t yet). He always does! 🙂 (personal experience)
I’ve been and in some ways am where you are… we are in the middle of a move (third big one in the last seven years, one was across the country).
Please, please do not despair – God does care for you and will work all things according to his good will. I pray that He gives you of His peace (which surpasses all understanding).
I have to admit (not proud of it, seemed so natural to feel that way though) that I was very angry (with some family members and then God) after our last move and was very depressed for about two years even though God had poured many blessings over our family (just not the blessings I wanted or expected). But His blessings are what we need, and so much better than what we expect… I pray that God will provide a special friend for you and one for each of your children in the new place!
In the most scary times is when I see God’s work/care the most. He’ll carry you through this adventure.