Journaling Through Lent: Week 3

 Hey!! Welcome to Week 3 of our Lent series! Today we’re talking about Jesus’ patience, so let’s get into it. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

Okay, so I have a question for you. Would you rather dump all your problems and worries onto someone who constantly interrupts, or onto someone who is patient and truly listens without any interruption? I think we would all agree to the second option. Why? Because we don’t feel like we have to say what we intended to say quickly before they interrupt us. We know that they’ll listen and either weep with us or rejoice with us, depending on the situation. This is who Jesus is. He listens carefully and guides you to make the right decisions. He knows everything, yes, but that doesn’t mean that He wouldn’t would want you to share with Him anyway. He wants us to know that we can talk to Him at anytime, about anything. When we do that, we can trust that He will listen carefully.

Do you want to be like Jesus? I sure do. But that means that we need to have His attributes, one of them being patience. The next time that someone shares a story or problem with you, focus on being patient and truly listening to them. Then when they’re done, weep with them if they’re weeping or rejoice with them if they’re rejoicing (Romans 12:15, ESV: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”). If you need guidance on how to listen better, try these three things:

• Listen carefully -don’t tune them out and don’t think about something else; give them your attention and your mind while they’re talking.
• Join them in how they feel about the situation (Rom.12:15)
• Try not to give too much advice unless they ask for it -if they didn’t ask for it, it’s probably not why they came to you. They just want someone to listen, not comment or advise.

If you’re that person who needs a listening ear right now, I encourage you to take some time and dump everything on Him. He wants you to, so go ahead.

Journaling Prompt: What do you need to discuss with Jesus right now? Write it out to Him.

That’s all for this week. Just remember that listening and caring is part of being in the body of Christ. Have a good rest of the week!