Patience, Joy and Setbacks

A warm thank you to all my readers who sent emails and posted comments about my last blog “Destiny Helpers”. I praise God it spoke to so many of you. I left off believing for my healing and I praise God that I’m on the mend! In this blog, I will talk about maintaining one’s healing, and finding joy in trials of patience.

As I continue to do well taking my thoughts captive to Jesus (controlling my tongue) as well as consciously avoiding clenching my jaw, my patience is continually tested. I thought I was doing well until I realized that a new trial arose that got me pondering this question. How can I be joyful in patience? Can these two coexist with each other at the same time?

It’s one thing to be patient when you’re fighting to control your tongue and your emotions, but it’s quite another to replace a negative emotion with a positive one in a matter of seconds. God’s word says you can! It comes down to a Biblical prayer and a choice.

The Prayer

“We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.” Colossians 1:11-12 NLT

Being thankful in all circumstances fructifies patience and joy. It makes sense, as they are both fruits of the Spirit! (See Galatians 5:22-23) Sometimes when we are feeling the heat as we’re struggling to keep our cool, the last thing on our mind is being thankful. Notice that I said “being” thankful, not necessarily “feeling” thankful. Sometimes, we have to realize the state of our countenance, and make a conscious effort to remember the things we are thankful for at that moment. We must remember it’s not always about us or how we feel. And also keep in mind that God has placed certain destiny helpers in our lives who try our patience for a reason.

There are many reasons to be aware of one’s countenance. Jesus said, though we are in this world, we are not of this world. Our faith in Him is the difference. Therefore, a joyful countenance in the midst of our trials will set us apart from the world. This becomes a setup to fulfill the great commission and share the reason for our faith.

Check out some of my earliest blogs for other reasons to be aware of one’s countenance.“My Mother’s Most Important Beauty Advice”; “A Beautiful Countenance” and “A New Approach to Wrinkles” will offer more understanding on that word, along with some nice beauty tips.)

The Choice

In Kay Warren’s book “Choose Joy” she writes “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things”

When I praised God for who He is and thanked Him for what He’s done, I found joy in patience. However, the measure to which I had it was not displayed on my face. Although I possessed a measure of joy in that trial of patience, I was not smiling. My emotions were in conflict and it was revealed in my countenance. I realized I had to start “professing” more thankfulness and praise in my heart, mind and from my mouth. I also needed to ask God to let the Joy of the Lord appear in my countenance. As I was faithful to do what I needed to do, God was Faithful to answer that prayer. Within minutes I was laughing. To God be the glory!

Delayed Healing

The bout of “TMJ” I experienced and wrote about in my last blog had indeed moved into my sinuses and caused symptoms reminiscent of Covid. Praise God the doctor said I was not contagious and able to go to work. I took the prescribed medications and followed the recommended routines; within a week I felt better. But then, in spite of proclaiming and believing I was healed, the left side of my face erupted in pain once again and I knew the reason. Disobedience can delay or cause one to loose their healing! Disobedience is sin.

Read John chapter 5 in full context to get the gist of what Jesus said to a man he had just healed. “…take up your bed and walk.” (John 5:12) This indicates Jesus had just supernaturally healed the man. Then later Jesus saw him in the temple and gave a stern warning: “See, you are well! Sin no more that nothing worse may happen to you”. ( John 5:14)

Supernatural healing can sometimes come as a miracle to encourage one’s faith and that of those around you. It usually requires the gift of supernatural faith (one of the miracle gifts of the Holy Spirit) which differs from ordinary faith (a blog for another day). But for the most part, God has given us doctors. The writer of the gospel of Luke was a doctor, and Jesus was certain to include him among His followers. I’m sure he wanted them to remain healthy as they spread the Good News after He was gone. Doctors can’t offer supernatural healing, but their wisdom and knowledge is a gift from the Lord to help others and promote healing.

Common sense dictates you should listen to your doctors. We must also be obedient to the unction of the Holy Spirit within us and do what one knows needs to be done. Do NOT test fate! Once again that’s where I went wrong. I knew what I was supposed to do and what not to do. I did not heed that unction I had within my spirit and my healing was set back (albeit just delayed).

You see, I was glad to be feeling better, so I decided it would be okay to bite into and consume an apple, as well as munch on crispy pita chips. Deep down I knew otherwise because TMJ requires one eat only soft food. But, those yummy foods were tempting me for a week. I figured I had a good excuse for all the cookies I ate at work because they were “somewhat” soft (okay, maybe not). Therefore, the returning facial and teeth pain were due to consequences of disobedience, and the same is true for the belly bulge I often complain about.

Sometimes we just test fate and self-destruct. I’d love to blame the devil, but truth be told, I have authority over him and his temptations. (See Matthew 10:1) I deliberately chose to eat the wrong things, yielding to the temptation and suffered the consequences. So now, it’s time to move on and repent of my gluttony and disobedience. I must ask God to help me be more fruitful in the area of self control, another fruit of the Spirit. Once again, I decree and declare I am joyfully awaiting complete healing in Jesus name. Finding joy in patience is also a choice. We have to choose to be thankful no matter what, and express it to our Lord. That is how we praise Him.

I hope you learned something from my consequences! In the meantime, hang in there my friends. Allow the Word of God to resonate in your heart and mind.