Rest in the Lord and Wait PATIENTLY for Him
Patience is a virtue that I find difficult to live out in practice. Maybe the same is so for you. It is a quality that I do admire and respect in others.
The most important step we can take to develop patience is to give God control of our life.
The Bible says it is important to be patient. So why is so? Because God is patient with us, we in turn should be patient with others. The reality is that this is not always easy. Those with whom with live, work and interact with can at times be obstinate, frustrating, selfish, inconsiderate, and difficult to please.
We also are like that sometimes, too. But I think we need to realise that patience flows from deep listening and understanding. When we are too quick to judge others and jump to conclusions, we inadvertently treat others harshly and with disrespect. It is very humbling to be reminded that God is patient and long-suffering. And we also need to give one another a break.
What patience teaches us most of all is that God is still at work in our world and in our lives, testing us at times and making us carefully think through issues and challenges we confront. Whether we acknowledge or like it or not, God has all things in control.
Sometimes that’s tough to accept and believe. When we have waited and waited and hoped and prayed, and things are still the same, we can be dismayed and impatient. When the career opportunity hasn’t come through; our loved one is still unwell; the damaged relationship situation is still the same, we may become resentful and disillusioned.
Patience teaches us to wait and to remember that God is still in charge. We may not understand all there is to know. Patience is a hard thing to create and it is almost impossible to make yourself be patient.
But there is hope. As we mature in our Christian faith and place trust in God then patience is the fruit of the Spirit that grows as a natural result of our relationship with God. St Paul in Galatians 5:22 says, “God’s Spirit makes us… patient”. It’s a fruit that God will grow. He grows that fruit as we grow in him and learn to trust and rely upon him.
I think the most important step we can take to develop patience is to give God control of our life. “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry,” says Psalm 40:1.
Think of it this way: every time you and I lose our patience we’re saying in effect, I’m in control and God’s not! We’re taking God out of the driver’s seat and putting ourselves in it.
May we wait patiently for our Lord throughout this term as the year draws to a close.
Adapted from Hope 103.2 Devotion By Chris Witts Saturday 12 Dec 2020
Shalom
John
