'I've Lost My Motivation': Ephesians 5:14 (Patience)

Read Galatians 5:22-23:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Are you ready to make an investment in the Fruit of Patience?

What’s the most difficult challenge in your life right now?

Write your response in the space provided.

Read Ephesians 5:8-14:

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Select 'Successful' when you are finished.

Go to 'DOCUMENTS' and read Oswald Chambers' comments on these verses in Ephesians.

Select 'Successful' when you are finished.

Oswald states:

"Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Someone may say to you, “Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard— just do what needs to be done!” That is what we mean by ordinary human initiative. But when the Spirit of God comes to us and says, in effect, “Get up and get going,” suddenly we find that the initiative is inspired."

Have you ever been inspired by God to take the initiative to overcome a problem?

If 'Yes', described what happened and specifically what you did about it.

If 'No', then proceed to the next step.

Oswald adds:

"We all have many dreams and aspirations when we are young, but sooner or later we realize we have no power to accomplish them. We cannot do the things we long to do, so our tendency is to think of our dreams and aspirations as dead."

What dreams and aspirations did you have in your past that now appear to be 'dead'?

Oswald continues:

"But God comes and says to us, “Arise from the dead....” When God sends His inspiration, it comes to us with such miraculous power that we are able to “arise from the dead” and do the impossible."

Given what you have experienced in your own life, read about in the Bible and observed in the lives of others, do you agree with this observation?

Oswald then makes a critical observation:

"The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we “get up and get going.” God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome."

How frequently do you find yourself waiting for God to give you the initiative to act on His inspirations?

Regarding not taking the initiative when God has inspired you, is there anything you would like to repent of (express your sorrow)?

If so, you can do so privately or in the space provided.

Oswald then states:

"When the inspiration of God comes, and He says, “Arise from the dead...,” we have to get ourselves up; God will not lift us up. Our Lord said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand” (Matthew 12:13). As soon as the man did so, his hand was healed. But he had to take the initiative."

Take a moment to imagine how difficult It must have been for that man to stretch out his withered hand when Jesus asked him to do so.

With that image in mind, regarding your answer in Step 2, what can you commit to doing right now to overcome what is overcoming you?

Oswald concludes:

"If we will take the initiative to overcome, we will find that we have the inspiration of God, because He immediately gives us the power of life."

Is there anything you would like to praise or thank God for?

If so, you can do so privately or in the space provided.

How much has this Trail increased the level of patience in your current disposition?