“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)
Developing patience comes through the learned skill of seeing other people the way God sees them. Practicing patience teaches us to keep looking toward the things above, where we witness God working in the most difficult of circumstances or within the most difficult of people.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently” (Romans 14:1 MSG).
Patience comes with practice. Most people can muster patience when it’s convenient; the real test comes with the stress of time slipping away, or when someone keeps making the same mistakes over and over again.
Patience comes with cost. Patience requires that you trust God’s timetable, setting aside your own quick-fix agenda, your rights and demands, not in a sense of co-dependent weakness, but with the sacrificial strength of the Jesus-life within you, where you sync with the deep, mysterious, ancient love of the Creator.
Patience comes through God’s love. Patience may cost you all the love you have, but that’s okay! God has more love in his love-bank than our minds could ever conceive
(1 Corinthians 6:9–10), so give all the love you have, God will give you more and more and more as you keep giving every ounce of love away. Can’t do it? Of course, you can’t.
“I can’t; God can.”
Allow his love and his patience to flow through you.
By Jon Walker
Used by Permission