PATIENCE 3

Pride builds a fortress of sticks. A strong wind or a careless fire and its gone. As a result pride is always fearful of the unforeseen and must always control those around it lest they carelessly destroy what it has built. Pride wishes to present a good face to the world through its acts of charity but lives with the knowledge of just how hollow that face is. Pride believes only in itself thus has worry as its high priest. Such is the insecurity of pride.

Patience invites us to shift focus from pride to the one who gives genuine security. In raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus showed his power over life and death. “I am the resurrection and the life…whoever lives and believes in me will never die,” says Jesus. How do you find greater security than that? Patience can afford to be patient because it knows who has the final say about life and death. Patience knows it can risk love because it is ultimately and always loved by Jesus. Patience invites us to not only confess our sins and receive forgiveness and cleansing but it urges us to stop for a moment and reflect on the great mystery of this high love Jesus has for us. This reflection gives perspective on life.

Reevaluation leads to reaffirmation. What a beautiful testimony Martha gave to who Jesus was. Her testimony showed tremendous insight into Jesus and his mission in this world. She saw him as the “Christ,” the Anointed or Chosen one, whom God had sent to save her people.[1] Martha also recognized that in Jesus she was seeing no ordinary man. He was also the “Son of God.” In Jesus God had taken human flesh to fulfill God’s plan to save the world. This Jesus would rescue her brother from death. She was safe putting Lazarus in his hands.

Patience enables us to reaffirm our faith in Jesus as the Christ. As Martha’s loss found resurrection in Jesus, so too our losses find new life. Christ gives us the power to turn our deepest needs over to him. We need not attempt to control or manipulate but simply receive what Christ will give confident of his power and goodness.

[1] The title “Christ” means “Anointed One”. Priests and kings were installed into office by having scented oil poured over their heads. The title “Anointed One” came to summarize for Israel her hopes that God would send one who would ultimately rescue Israel.

Why Does It Always Happen to Me?

I have always enjoyed taking personality tests of various kinds because of the insights I have gained about myself and others. A number of years ago a counselor friend of mine introduced me to the Enneagram. I became fascinated with this look at personality types not so much for what I learned about personalities but for what I learned about sin. The supposition of the Enneagram is that each personality type is susceptible to a particular type of sin[1]. For instance, on the Enneagram a “one” is also called “The Reformer.” Ones tend to struggle with anger. Type two, “The Helper,” wrestles with pride, and so forth up through nine.

This fascinated me for two reasons. As a pastor, helping people understand the power of sin, how it works, and how God’s grace releases us from its power has always been important to me. Secondly, reading about the Enneagram helped me understand patterns that I have seen in people’s lives. In talking with a young woman about her third failed relationship, she said to me, “Why does this always happen to me? Why can’t I find a decent guy? Why do I always end up with these losers?” I remember trying to tell her as kindly as I could that the answer was very simple. She attracted them and then chose them.

How many times I have heard people ask the same question, “Why does it always happen to me?” This study is intended to share insights that I have gained from 30 years of pastoral ministry and what I observed reading about the Enneagram[2]. It is my prayer that you will gain insight into some of the patterns that have developed in your life which often get you into trouble.
[1] Sin is defined as a human bent toward breaking the law of God and/or the action of breaking that law
[2] Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram, Bantam Books, New York, 1999