“Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.” (Ephesians 4:2b NLT)

Heh, I stole this one from purpose driven life...I'll probably do that a lot but I love the perfection talk because it's something I struggle with badly.  I remember going to that one urbana seminar hoping for some guidance on this haha.  We ended up going through this weird david passage and I had no idea what was going on at the end. 

AAANYWAY, this verse tells us to be patient with each other, knowing that we are all imperfect.  So we all know how annoying people get.  Sometimes, they're just so rude and selfish and annoying and mean and stupid and wait...So are we.  Dang it.  We're just as rude, just as selfish, just as annoying and mean and stupid and many times, we don't even realize it!!  So maybe that guy over there keeps talking down on you and bragging about how much better he is...and you just want to SHOW HIM WHO'S BETTER!  Here's a better idea...show him your love..and I bet you you'll feel even better.

The first step of patience with humanity's imperfection is the realization that we ourselves are imperfect.  Patience comes from understanding that at any moment in time...we could be doing the same thing to someone else.  I'm not perfect...so I don't expect you to be perfect.  I could easily be in your position..and I really wouldn't want you to be angry with me either.

Love is patient and God loves us.  If God can love an imperfect person like me, I can certainly try to do the same.  Thank you God for setting THAT example :)

Romans 4

"2 If in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before God.  3 What does the Scripture say?  'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'" 

So what is righteousness?  I normally think of people donating large sums of money to charity or doing good "works".  But now it says that Abraham believed, and it was credited to him as righteousness.  Ok, what's "it"?  The works?  The belief?  As a human in today's society, we only think works...I think it's both the belief in God and the works that come with that belief.  But first and foremost, the belief is required.  This must be the most difficult thing for non-christians to understand.  There are many nonchristians in the world who do these works.  But without the belief...what do those works count for in the grand scheme of things?  Without Jesus, what are we really?

"4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."

"8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

Faith and belief...and our sin will never count against us.  Wow, how easy is that?  A lot easier than trying to get God to credit us with enough works to cancel our debt of sin.  No matter how many works, God will never "earn" enough to wipe out that debt.  There is only one path...and you know what?  The path may seem narrow now, but in the long run, it's a whole lot easier.