Patience Needed

Recently I've been thinking about what patience really mean. Since a lot of my friends find that I'm patient, I thought I probably am. As I delved deeper to moments of vexations toward a family member then thinking twice, I probably am not that patient or not anymore.

God says Love is patient.  To love is to have patient in other words, you can't have one without the other. When you learn to love someone,and it doesn't have to be romantically, you will have more of Gods viewpoint of the person. And you know how much God loves us.

Patience requires making a conscious effort to get to know the person better.  When you know the background, the character that makes the person then you will get less uptight when vexed. Understanding comes after knowledge subsequently the ability to act out patience comes after understanding.

Another reality check, there are some people who loves to argue no matter what and being patient is to walk away, or find the ground to agree to disagree. The more we study the character of Jesus, the more we will realize how learning to love a person can produce patience and self control. And there are times silence becomes an act of patience. Knowing when to be quiet and submitting the situation to the Father, allows Him to act on your behalf. The battle belongs to the Lord no matter how small the battle might be.

I see my God being so patient with me. Hearing my rants and complains, my disobedience but still He listens and slowly reveal the things I need to do over and over. The lessons from God comes in many different form, shapes and sizes I have to say but they are all covered with love. 

As I was reading through some of the verses about patience and about bearing with one another, one verse in particular stood out: 

Ephesians 4:2

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." 

The whole chapter is about unity of the body of Christ and striving to maintain peace. Imagine God stresses on being completely humble and gentle and with that includes patience.  In any family, church or work, unity is attainable when each one wants to strive to be humble, gentle and patient. Nowadays a lot of us do not allow the Grace of God to empower us with this virtue but rather we want to be outwardly looking, sounding, acting tough. What happen to thinking of others more highly than we ought? 

We all are a work in progress but let us work with God, so that we can walk in the manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.

Colossions 3:13

" Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances that you may against one another . Forgive as the Lord forgave you"