Patience

Patience.

It seems to me that we are called to be like God (Romans 8:29) and again and again in the Bible we are reminded that God is patient.

When I think of an example of patience, I think of working on a project, baking or playing a board game with a small child for the first time, and as they struggle to grasp fully what is going on, they make mistakes.  There is no point in getting angry with them as they are learning what the importance of the parameters are,  like why does it matter if I move forwards or backwards 3 squares in the game,  I'm moving!

This is probably a good image for most of us as we try to become more like God, with God as the parent and us the child.  As we try to shed our earthly desires and have our eyes fixed on Him, we can get things wrong and at times we slip up and require the patience of God to bear with us as we are lovingly corrected. 

Just as we are called to forgive much because God has forgiven us much, so too, as God has much patience with us, we too are to have patience with those around us.  We are not to easily anger when people get things wrong,  we are to have patience with them, to lovingly correct them,  for the betterment of the individual and those around them. 

But more than that, we're called to be patient in all things. The last reading of the week, James 5:7-12, reminds us that we are to wait patiently for the return of Christ. But it is an active patience, not that we can alter the outcome, just like the farmer can't alter the harvest, but we are to prepare ourselves. 

Just like the farmer makes sure that their machinery is in good working order, that where they are going to store the crops is clean and ready, through patience we develop ourselves and those around us. We are to extend grace in situations rather than criticism, to build people up rather than tear them down, we are to be patient and love, even when it's hard to do so. 

And why?

It is for the glory of God. Just as Moses called on God to be patient and forgive the Israelites for refusing to trust God and go into the promised land (Numbers 14:13-19), by being patient people, loving one another, we truly express the character of God to those around us.