Ask any child to get a refreshingly honest answer: it’s hard to practice your patience with others, especially those we live with on a daily basis. It is far easier to complain, to point out others’ flaws, and to lose our tempers.
There is such a variety of difficult people to be patient with: cantankerous older people, sharp-tongued observers, opinionated relatives or friends, fit throwing children, stubborn people, and of course…me.
I have yet to find a verse that states “then give that turkey a piece of your mind” or even “it’s all right to blow up when…”
There are, however, a variety of verses in the other direction!
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Colossians 3:13
With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love… speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ Ephesians 4:2,15
Oh dear. Is it possible that I might sometimes be the difficult and immature one? That I perhaps have some “growing up” to do myself?
14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
It’s hard enough to be patient with one person – but all of them? Yet patience is also a fruit of the Spirit, implying that we can and should be growing in this trait with His help.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16
Is God giving you a chance to practice your patience today?
Give me patience when little hands
tug at me with ceaseless small demands.
Give me gentle words and smiling eyes,
and keep my lips from hasty replies.
Let me not in weariness, confusion or noise
Obscure my vision from life’s fleeting joys.
So when, in years to come, my house is still,
No bitter memories its rooms may fill.
~Anonymous
Photo by Daniel Dan on Unsplash
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