“But if we hope for what we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:25 ESV)
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.” (1 Corinthians 13:4 ESV)
Google defines patience as “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset.”
I have always been kind of impatient. If I want something, I don’t want to wait. If I’m going somewhere, I want to be on time or even early. But as I get older, I realize that it’s ok to not be early. It’s ok to wait for something I want.
The perfect example of patience is Jesus. I mean, look who he hung around with. Doubters, thieves and liars. But He was patient and kind and won a lot of them over. Jesus’s own disciples were questionable at times too. They couldn’t even stay awake while He went to pray before being crucified. Another example is Job. The devil tormented poor Job, but he stayed true to God. Even after his kids dying, he lost everything and ended up with sores on his body, he cursed the day he was born but never cursed God for what happened to him. And because Job was patient, God rewarded him with twice as much property, more children and a long life.
So if your life is in shambles, kids or spouse acting squirrely or you just can’t wait for something, remember the saying “The patience of Job.” If Job can withstand everything the devil threw at him, and not curse God, we can too.
So give patience a try today. You might just surprise surprise yourself.
Kathy Keller
