Sometimes your patience runs out. “That’s it, I’ve had it,” is a statement we’ve made countless times in our lives. Sometimes it’s about work. Or about our marriage. Maybe about our children or other extended family. Sadly, sometimes it’s also about our church. How do we deal with these feelings on a spiritual level? Does God really want us to be that fed up with our kids, or our marriage, or our friends, or our church?

What has gone wrong in our world to where we can’t even tolerate the people around us? In short, the problem is us. You and me.

Galatians 6:3 says, “If anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” And Romans 12:16 says, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” That’s the thing about all those things we’re mad about. They were never “OURS” to begin with. It was only our falsely inflated sense of pride which allowed us to think it was ours, to get frustrated with in the first place.

When we place expectations on people or things, we’re subconsciously assuming they’re going to meet OUR expectations, and the product of unmet expectations is almost always anger. They belong to God. Just like you. Let’s all strive to honor the same Person.