Tear Your Hearts
What is the purpose of situations that test our patience?
Verse of the Day
“Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.”
Today’s Devotional
There are few things in life that can reveal the dark corners of our hearts the way difficult situations can. When we are confronted with difficulties, or situations beyond our control, or people who really irritate us, our true struggles are revealed. Most of the time, we can keep anger and pride, resentment and jealousy, impatience and entitlement at bay. But there are situations where we cannot hide those things if they are lurking in our heart.
I believe that God places us in situations that test our patience in order to help us see the things that we need to bring to Him to heal. I can think of a time in my life when I was REALLY upset about a certain person in my life. I was frustrated and impatient and irritated. From my perspective, everything that was bothering me was ALL this other person’s fault. And then I sat down with my Father to talk about it. More accurately, I wanted to vent and I wanted Him to fix it or release me from this friendship. But God, in His kindness, showed me something that was in my heart that I had been unable to see. When He revealed this to me, it broke my heart. And in confessing my failure to God, He set me free of the frustration, impatience, and irritation in that relationship.
God doesn’t want me to “act” patient any more than He wants me to “act” repentant. God wants my heart. He wants yours too. And God’s patience with us is a beautiful picture of the patience He will grow in us as we seek Him.
Perhaps the things that test our patience are the things He is using to get our attention. Perhaps, in His mercy and compassion, He is trying to help us to turn to Him. To return to Him. To put Him back on the throne of our heart instead of whatever we have mistakenly put there.
As we see impatience in our actions, thoughts, or words, let’s be people who are quick to tear our hearts and return to the Lord. Let’s be willing to own our mistakes and failings. Let’s relent from needing things to go our way, and fully submit to our loving Father.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
When and where have you experienced someone who was inauthentic in their repentance? Do you ever do that with God?
How might areas of impatience point out things in you that God wants to heal?
How willing are you to genuinely “tear your heart” over your impatience?
How can you lean in to the mercy and compassion of God today?