Monday; April 24

When the Apostle Paul challenged the First Century Christians he wrote, Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3). While there is a lot stuff packed into this passage, one thing that stands out to me is the presence of patience. Patience sounds like something that should be found in a Christian conversation, but what does it mean? Most of us could come up with a dictionary definition for patience but, practically, how do we do it? Patience means waiting for others as they catch up to our spiritual, mental and emotional levels. Patience means being tolerant of people as they work through their challenges. Patience means being there with them as they fall and fail – and be there with them the next time … and the next time … and the next time.

It is easy to view patience as a virtue but, honestly, it is a foundational principle of human existence. First of all, it is what is necessary to grow mature human beings. Whether the people are our own children or those who look up to us as role models, we will not be able to do our jobs without patience. Yet, maybe the most important thing about patience is that it is the gift that others have given us that has allowed us to get to where we are. Without the patience of others, we would not have been able to achieve the position we currently occupy.

Let’s be patient. Not only is it something the people around us need, it is something that God above us expects!

Think About It!

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