Please Be Patient
I wish I was a more patient person. I loathe sitting in traffic or waiting in long lines. I get frustrated when I am forced to sit for a long period in a doctor’s waiting room when I had an appointment. My kids aggravate me when I am trying to leave the house but they are dragging their feet. The list of things that upset me when I am forced to wait goes on and on, but it only shows that I am not a very patient person. Patience is not optional for the Christian and it is a virtue that is expected of us, yet many of us are in no hurry to obtain it.
The Bible is full of stories about patience and often the lack thereof in humanity. Each story demonstrates God’s desire for us to be patient and to wait with grace. In some stories the biblical character is blessed for their willingness to wait on God’s promise and in other stories the character learns of the consequences of being impatient. What we learn from scripture is that patience begins with the affirmation that God is sovereign and at work in our lives. Thus the Bible’s understanding of patience as a Christian virtue is rooted in the totality of Christian truth.
What is the totality of Christian truth? It is that God has sought us, through Jesus Christ has redeemed us, and through the Holy Spirit continues to work within us. Again, patience is not optional for the Christian because God is not down with us yet. The work that began within us before we were ever aware continues to this day. In Ephesians 4:1-3, the Apostle Paul instructs Christians to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” To walk with patience is to know that none of us are yet made perfect and we are to be gracious to one another as God’s work continues.
This Sunday, February 13th, during worship we will explore something that I believe is the The Tuff Stuff of Christianity, Patience.
In God’s grip,
Pastor Chuck Church
