Something the Lord has been showing me this week is my need for patience.
Webster’s dictionary defines the word patient as the following:
Bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint, manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain, not hasty or impetuous, steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity, able or willing to bear.
Wow! I want to be all of those things! But when I examine my life and think of how I handle the children, the difficulties at work, or the daily challenges navigating the endless to-do list, I see the need to grow in this area all too well. What does God say about patience? When this question came to my mind, the conviction in my heart grew. Two passages came to my mind:
James 1:3-4 says:
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
From this passage, I can see that PATIENCE IS A PROCESS.
Recognizing my weakness in an area of life is the first step in being able to make a change. From this point, I begin to identify the weakness. I take note of the times that I struggle the most with patience and how I get there in the first place. But I must not stop there.
1 Corinthians 13:4 says:
“Charity suffereth long [is patient], and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth, not itself, is not puffed up.”
From this passage, I can see that PATIENCE IS LOVE.
The first quality to describe love is “suffering long,” which has the same meaning as the word, patient. To grow in patience, I need God’s help to walk in love toward those around me. This is a choice I make moment by moment — the option to choose patience when my natural inclination would be frustration or disillusionment.
As I dug into this small study, it heightened my awareness of my great need for God’s grace and strength. I am asking the Lord to help me be patient and grow in love toward others everywhere.
Be encouraged.
Chad