A few years ago, the Lord showed me the difference between boys and men. He told me that boys think about what they do, whereas men think about who they are. Considering who he is forces a man to slow down and truly examine his motives, his intentions and his thoughts. Then he can assess the quality of his actions. Anyone who has raised one knows that boys cannot slow down. In a sense, the ability to slow down is a primary indicator of maturity.
In the same manner, our Lord focuses on the heart. In other words, He is less concerned about what we do than He is about who we are. Because He is perfectly and completely mature, God can do this perfectly and completely. And what does He want us to be?
Romans 12:12 (NKJV)
[Be] rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
The qualities expressed in this verse (as well as those that come before and after) describe essential characteristics of Christ:
He focused not on the adversity, but on the hope that was set before Him.
He patiently endured trials and tribulations that would make all other men wilt.
And of course, He never ever stopped praying.
Let us be conformed to the image of Christ that He has placed in each of us. Let us have our identity be in Christ Jesus. That is who we are. We can evidence that fact by ... rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.
Be encouraged, Jose
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