October 26, 2023

Ephesians 4: 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (NIV)

We must work hard to have patience and not to react stubbornly to another’s stubbornness.*

Being completely humble and gentle is not an easy task. But how about being patient? How are you doing with that? I read somewhere that patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.* Is that true, do you think? If you are sitting there with one foot on the brake and the other on the accelerator, are you really being patient or are you just passive-agressively trying to appear patient?

Don’t get me wrong. Behaving in a patient manner is better than acting on your feelings of impatience, but the Bible speaks of being patient, not just acting like it. For instance:

·       Be patient in affliction. (Romans 12: 12)

·       Be patient with everyone. (I Thessalonians 5: 14)

·       Be patient and stand firm. (James 5: 8)

There are other passages that speak of learning to be patient – all presenting very good reasons to make patience a priority. But our verse today alludes to the ultimate motivation for acquiring patience: love. As Paul points out elsewhere, love is patient (I Corinthians 13: 4). Does that mean that if you are impatient with your children you don’t love them? If your spouse makes you feel like stripping your gears sometimes, have you stopped loving him? Let me answer for you by asking another question: do you think your love has reached the level of perfection?

We are human and imperfect. In every way we fail, but we don’t give up trying to be like Jesus. When it comes to patience, we just look to him for the perfect example and we keep trying. We continue to act patiently while still experiencing feelings of impatience, whether it’s with other people, or even with God as we wait for him to answer our prayers. The more we learn to love like Jesus, the less our feelings are a factor. Just be patient!

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.*