How can we build and improve patience in our lives? How can we be happy when trials, conflicts, and difficulties come our way? How can light come from the darkness?

In this episode co-hosts Renée and Theresa talk about why difficult times exist and how God will turn them into something great if we can learn to practice patience on a daily basis. 

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Things We Cover in this Episode:

  • How to improve your patience
  • Scriptures on how to practice patience
  • AND SO MUCH MORE…

Here is a full transcription of Episode #040 (This transcription was auto-generated!)

(00:00): There's some days you'll never forget. Like the day the doctor said you have kidney cancer. It rocked my world. And I was sure my fate was going to be just like my mom who died at 65. My son in his twenties at the time gave me some wise words, mom, be patient. This is just God's plan for your life. And everything is going to be okay. Stay tuned. Because today we're going to talk about that kind of patience. And how do you maintain that patients in the middle of severe and serious trials in your life?

(00:48): Welcome to episode 40. One of the well-versed woman podcast, I'm Renee teller and I'm Theresa Morgan. You see Renee and I are two perfectly imperfect women, as we say every week. And we have a heart to share our life's journeys and our faith with you. What we love to share is the relationship we've developed with God. This podcast is all about relationship. It is not about religion, but before we get started, we know in order for that relationship to flourish, we need to plug into the power source. So every week we ask that you stop right now. Be very, still close your eyes, open your ears and open your heart and invite God in to speak to you today. 20 seconds starts right now.

(01:58): [inaudible]

(02:02): That's 20 seconds and I encourage you to grow that absolutely every morning, when you wake up, take time to be still take time to ask God to direct every step of every day today, I promise you he'll do it. You need to ask. But back to this craziness, when I was diagnosed with the cancer that took my mom's life, it was three whole months from the time I was diagnosed until the time of my surgery. I think that was the three longest months of my life. So far, Theresa. I just wanted to get it over with. I wanted to get that tumor cut out of my body and get on with my life. And that wasn't the only patients I needed. It was proven over and over again that this was a lesson that God was going to teach me throughout the subsequent months and even years of my life after that. And I have to say coming out the other end all this time later, I am so thankful and grateful for that journey. It changed me so significantly and brought me into this beautiful, higher relationship with God. No question about it

(03:25): Monday. I think it was one of the three longest months of my life too, but you know, Renee, I think about those three months as well. And he, as we were going through that together, praying and believing God, I became stronger too. And it reminds me of the reverse that we're going to couch on today. James chapter one, verse two, which says my brother and counted all joy. When you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. Wow. Patients has a desired outcome. Patients has a purpose. And of course it's not that God gives us sickness. No, no, of course he's our healer, but God allows us those opportunities so that we can learn and we can grow in. There are things happening within us.

(04:28): There, there are seeds of strength that are producing a tree that is well, well rooted well-grounded so that we start to stand tall, amidst life struggles that come our way we're in this world. We are going to have trials, tribulations challenges. Of course, yes. There's such joy in life. There's such goodness in life, but there are also the things that we like to think of as our nemesis, the struggles, you know, I think many of us wake up and say, will this ever be over? But it's that very, those very times, Renee, that we can answer it and we can say yes in while I'm going through it. It is producing a desired outcome strength in my soul.

(05:23): Yeah. So true. It's hard to understand, but if I stop and think about the fact that I would never know the beauty of light, if I didn't know darkness, then you begin to understand that the deeper these trials are the more beauty you recognize. I don't think it necessarily means that the trials are beautiful. I think we just recognize the beauty in things in a different way. I certainly recognize the beauty and joy in life so much differently. And I bet that's true for anyone that's gone through a life-threatening diagnosis. You just appreciate every day, all the more. And you see the beauty in it and you refuse to let yourself go back to that old thinking. It's a whole new perspective, a whole new world. And so when you say Theresa, that James, the book of James says, count it joy. When you encounter various trials, you realize that you can count it joy as difficult as those are.

(06:36): And when you're going through something, it's very hard to stop and say, wait a minute, I got to count this on joy. I know it's going to be brighter on the other end, but the more you experience those times, the more you experience darkness, the more beautiful sunshine is I think about Theresa, where you are right now, which is my hometown in upstate New York. And I happened to be in Florida and our winters get very, very dark. They get very, very gloomy and cloudy. And when we come down to Florida, we're just amazed that the sun is shining every day. I mean, it's that simple, an analogy. That's simple a dichotomy.

(07:19): That is great. Renee. I love that analogy because truly that is what it is like going through a challenge, a trial, be it for a day or a moment, or be it for months on end. You know, when we look to God, if we look to the promises of his word, the Holy spirit could get in there and can start shining his flashlight on, on truths. He can give us that staying power that does produce for us. You know what? He calls an internal weight of glory. I love what it says in second Corinthians chapter four verses 16 through 18. It says, therefore, we do not lose heart Renee. You know, when you were going through the tumor kidney diagnosis. And when I was going through the tumor rupturing, we encouraged one another. We did not lose heart. And the Bible goes on to say, even though our outward man is perishing, I don't think any of us know anyone whose outward man is perishing day by day, right?

(08:22): We all get older, but the Bible says yet the inward man is being renewed day by day for our light affliction. The Bible calls that calls at our light affliction, which is, but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding any terminal weight of glory. While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. So as we have discussed in this podcast, we are a spirit. We have a soul, we live in a body, but what God is saying is I'm in there. He's saying I'm in there during the challenges and the trials in like gold, that needs to be refined in a furnace. I'm in there in wait till you see what is going on in your spirit.

(09:17): There is an eternal, eternal means a forever work. So what God is doing in us is going to produce for us forever. Once we step out of these bodies, right? Once, once our spirits go on to be with him, there is a forever glory that is happening in us now. And when I think about those trials, Renee, when I think about the challenges, I think, wow, they're not for not meaning there's something being produced. There is something glorious going on that God wants to use in this life. And he also will use it as he says in the ages to come.

(10:01): Something just struck me Theresa. And that is so cool that everything keeps moving. Everything keeps moving. You were saying in the scripture in second Corinthians, even though our outward man is perishing, even though we're aging, our inward man is being renewed. Our inward man is anti-aging. Our inward man is growing. So in every darkness or in everything that looks gloomy, there's brightness coming out. The other end, the other side, that is so cool.

(10:41): It really is. And I, is it that the ultimate anti-aging potion, right? We have it. We have it within a, when we know God and the Holy spirit is doing his work. But when we think about, okay, you know, Lord, what is my purpose here on earth? And how do you want their purpose to be live day by day? I think about, okay, here on earth, God commands us Renee to love one another, right? So how best are we an agent of love? Well, we're more suited when we have the patience to stick with someone through something that's really where our love heals can kick up and really be a really good helper to people in this world. Demonstrative really show the patience of God that has been worked through us. I've had people say, how can you be so patient during this trial? And it's because I've let patients habits work in previous trials over and over.

(11:48): And now I can come in and become, I can come in in bring the wisdom of God into a situation, but more so it can show. I can show people that love is patient love is kind love endures in Renee. As you know, I'm going into first Corinthians chapter 13, right? The love chapter that we hear at weddings often, but think about it. If patients has a perfect work and if the Bible says, and it doesn't first Corinthians chapter 13, verse four, love is patient. If we could say that patients has a work of love, right? So love is patient. And so when an individual can be mature in demonstrate patience in a very trying situation, that really speaks volumes about our faith in the Lord. And it also speaks volumes and helps another person go through this situation with a calmness and with an anticipation in a hope that things are going to be

(12:56): Fine. I love to what John 15 verse 12 says, love one another. You're talking about love and it's so needed today. This patience and love Teresa. If we could get just that one thing, if we could put that on our post-it note and put that in front of our, for me in front of my face every day, but love one another, as he loves and prosper in all things with character produced by patients, just thinking about the fact that my patients can produce something big and may encourages me to be more patient. I need a, I need a motivation. I need a clear cut reason. And the first thing that you remind me of is to go back to the word, especially today, especially where we're living, where we continue to be bombarded by changes by things that are rocking our, our footing. I keep feeling like we're stepping on squishy sand. Every time we walk out the door that things are changing and what can we do? We can be patient and we can love just that alone would change everything. Wouldn't it?

(14:17): It sure would. Renee. And again, you know, our calling as Christians. Yeah. I love John chapter 15, verse 12 as well, because you know, God says, this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Wow. That's a tall order. That's a tall ask. But yet God is right there saying, Hey, my love has been shed abroad in your heart, Romans five, five, and I will help you be that great lover of mankind, of the people that you come in contact with so that you can help them through trials. Boy, could you imagine if we all went through trials with love and patience with people around us helping us, then all of a sudden that person allowed patients to have its work and it can be a beautiful effect that can start to spread where people are more confident. And that's where that's where love love can grow in it.

(15:14): Also true tree side. Think about what comes first, the chicken or the egg, you know, do we go out and be kind and do we be patient and do it? You know, this whole idea that it's a big circle. You just start, you take a step forward. You think about, and consciously, deliberately make an effort to be kind and love the person in the grocery store. And then the chain starts to happen. Right? Okay.

(15:44): That's exactly correct. The chain starts to happen. And what I love is how Jesus goes on to say in John 15, if we look at the verses 16 and 17, he says, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain. And then he goes on to say, whatever you ask the father in my name, in my name, he may give you these things. I command you, that you love one another. So it's the greatest calling in life, right? It's, it's the greatest potion. If you will, antidote, if you will, is, is to love. And that love, you know, Renee, I'm thinking about my little granddaughter who came upstairs this morning, nanny nanny, and I always loved, I'd love to bend down and, you know, get on her level. And it's the love that I'm putting into her that I'm showing because I have patients.

(16:39): Yes. Do I have a million things on my agenda today? Yes, but I stopped because I'm patient enough. I've, I've allowed the work of patients to take its course. And I'm patient enough to put in, put into her, give her my time, love her. And you know what? There's 60 years between us in age, but they have love what I'm putting that fruit that I'm putting into her will remain long after I'm gone. And I believe that's what Jesus is trying to get over to us today. That every day, the love that we give out, it's going to remain long after we're gone. And I love that it has a work. It has a work in our character in after we're gone, you know, Renee in the book of Ephesians chapter two verses four to seven, it says, God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us.

(17:37): Even when we were dead in trespasses, he made us alive together by Christ and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And this is where I wanted to lead that in the ages to come. He might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. So there are eight just to come. You know, I want to encourage our listeners today. There are ages to come. I say it this way. Sometimes this life is not the be all in the end. All yes, do your best allow patients to have its work so that love can flourish and grow. And you can be a good lover of your family and of your partner and of people that you meet, but do your best on, on earth in this life. But don't be, don't be mistaken. The character that is growing in you, that weight of glory in you, that God talks about in your spirit, God will use in the next life and in the ages to come when we're with him.

(18:46): Wow. It reminds me of a conversation. I was having just this week with friends down here and we were talking about even the ages to come true, Lisa in this life, of course. And we talked about our different families and how things get passed from generation to generation. And when you start that with your granddaughter, your granddaughter's already a step ahead of where you might've started. And we talked about the generations in the past and we were saying things like, well, it just wasn't like that back then, or people didn't do that. A dads. It wasn't a co-parenting thing. Dads didn't change diapers. I mean, put it in that kind of perspective where if I start practicing patients and exude that with just our own families, forget about the impact we can have on the entire world, which is great. We can have it in ages to come each within our own families, each with at our own gene illogical line. However you say that word, a logical line, passing that along. And then the second thing that rung loud to me in that scripture and in our conversation is my word for the year. Believe it or not, my word for the year is practice and practice means to put into action, right? So practice patience that if I practice patience really practice it, like that means every day deliberately focus. Think about practicing patients that is loving, that is loving people. What a great thing today

(20:48): In the world, we're in where everything is so fast and everything is so furious. And our attention span. Somebody said our attention span now in the studies, I probably shouldn't quote this, but like four seconds or eight seconds, right? Our attention span is so crazy short because of technology because of how fast we're moving patients is, is a lost art. So if we just can practice patients that is loving Theresa sure is Renee. I was on the phone yesterday with a Gale and it was a payroll service that my company uses. And it was a very frustrating scenario because they were dropping the ball. But what was so beautiful is I was patients that I was very patient and I was complimentary toward her because she was handling a very frustrating situation. She kept saying, I see where we dropped the ball. I can see it in the, in the notes.

(21:55): And I said, you know, I said, I want to, I want to compliment you. I said, you sound like a, a young woman. And I said, you're doing such a fabulous job. I want you to know that. And, Oh my goodness, her countenance Renee right in. And she was just overjoyed because it was difficult. And just acknowledging that and just being patient on the other end, helped her. And I believe that was the love that was needed at the moment. And you know what, from that, she called back a little, I think within the hour, she said, Hey, this is what's going on now. We're, we're straightening this out for you. And what a beautiful outcome it was because patience has been cultivated in my life. Thank you for this lesson today because it is not my middle name. I think I've said that an episodes before, and this reminder to use patients to love one another. I think that's just a great way to end this episode, Theresa, and remind us all about that tiny little word patience and to practice patience. Same man. You know, as the saying goes, it truly is a virtue and patience is a virtue. That's fantastic. What is Theresa our favorite scripture of the well-versed woman podcasts? Absolutely. Renee Romans 10 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Thanks so much for listening. Bye. Now

(23:36): We're so glad you're here today. And we'd like you to subscribe, rate and review this podcast. And we will send you a well-versed woman journal in the mail

(23:46): Where you can keep track of all these great little daily motivations like practicing patients. We also have a Facebook community group just asked to join the well-versed woman, Facebook community. And we'll let you in there where you can ask any questions you want. And lastly, the show notes of every episode include the scriptures for that week's teachings. You just need to scroll down until you find the click and the link that takes you right to the show notes that you can review and print out. Remember the word of God and meditating on that word. Faith comes by hearing, like we say, is what is key to changing everything in your life until next week. We love you. Bye now.

(24:36): Yeah.