you've got to change - now!...

we also need patience when it comes to other people. you may think they need to change but you can't force it to happen so you need patience.

james also understood this. james 5.10 (ms), take the old prophets as your mentors. they put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring GOD.

isn't that a great thing to be said about someone that they never once quit on you? and that's true of each one of us. so we need to do the same with others. so many times we want to say, ''i'm done with them they're never going to change,'' but that's not what the prophets did in there day.

listen, the prophets were given the task by GOD to help people change in their behavior, to bring them back to HIM. but over and over as you read the ot you find that the people didn't want to change. no matter what the prophets did. but they never once quit.

do you have anybody in your life right now who refuses to change? i understand how difficult it is to live with that kind of person. but we need patience with people. joyce landorf calls these "irregular people" -- they are people who only see their own way. they may never change. but james still says to have patience with them.

here is a great way to see what it means to be patient. the word "patience" in the greek is the word "macrothumos" -- "macro" meaning "long" and "thumos" (from which we get the word "thermometer") meaning "heat". it literally means "it takes a long time for you to get hot". you've got a long fuse, you don't blow up, you don't get overheated with people.

if you're going to be a success with people, you have to learn patience. if you're going to be successful parents, you have to have a long fuse. you don't get overheated. if your going to be a successful husband/wife you must keep your cool, you need to never once quit, you need to be patient. that other person is worth it.

and that is why GOD is patient with you, why HE never once quit, because HE believes you are worth it.

just some thoughts from the front porch...