Are you good at being patient?
In 1 Corinthians 13:4, we see that love is patient. When we look at the same verse, but from the New King James Version, we find that the word “patient” is replaced with “suffers long.”
Yikes.
“Suffers” sounds a bit extreme to me, but get ready to put patience into everyday context.
You order dinner from your favorite restaurant and join the group of people waiting for their meal, and as you do that, you start to pick out the people that are being patient and the ones that are. . .not so much.
The patient people spark a conversation, scroll their phones, or sit quietly—without the sour faces or negativity (James 5:8).
But the impatient people? You’ll know because they’ll complain, check the time, and shift from foot to foot.
In reality, waiting at a restaurant is hardly suffering, but it can test many people’s patience (Luke 16:10).
If you’ve never waited for food, here’s another example.
You have an unbelieving friend. You’ve been evangelizing to her for years, and she seems interested in becoming a Christian but hasn’t made a commitment. Yet, you don’t give up. Finally, one day, she calls you and announces the two words you’ve been waiting for—“I’m saved!”
That’s patience.
A patient person—hopefully, you—won’t give up. Patient people are willing to suffer long because a patient and loving God refused to give up on them.
Be Slow at Getting Angry
Remember that restaurant example? Patient people don’t get angry quickly. Impatient fools will give in with a snap (Proverbs 14:9).
Love Well
In Ephesians 4:2, we again see patience and love operating in the same sentence. “Be humble and gentle,” it says, “Be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
You can’t love someone well unless you are patient with them, like in the unbelieving friend scenario. To love her the best you could, you had to suffer long while God worked to change her soul.
Don’t Lose Heart
As Christians, we know that, ultimately, we are waiting for our reward (Galatians 6:9).
Can you guess what you don’t have to wait for? The ability to be patient. It’s part of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and a great thing to practice.
Be Patient Because God is Patient
God waited to free the Israelites from their bondage (Exodus 6:7), to send His Son (2 Peter 3:9), and to come back a second time (Acts 1:7). He waited for you to turn to Him so He could transform you. He could have turned His back when you held out. He could have offered you just one chance. In fact, He didn’t have to give you a chance at all.
But He did.
Could you wait that long for a lost soul?
Even if you aren’t the most patient person in the world, God is still suffering long for you. So ask Him for patience everywhere you go, from home to a restaurant to wherever you meet your friends.
Some waiting is annoying, but patience is possible—and it makes God look amazing.
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