You also, be patient.
James 5:8

We have all experienced the patience of God. Sometimes we even joke, “Be patient with me—God’s not finished with me yet!” But while we want others to be patient with us, we’re not always willing to extend that same patience to them.

However, if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, patience—or long-suffering—will be one of the fruits of that Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We are exhorted in Ephesians 4:2–3:

“Seid demütig und sanftmütig, geduldig, ertragt einander in Liebe und bemüht euch, die Einheit des Geistes im Band des Friedens zu bewahren.”

If we are motivated by the love that God has poured into our hearts, then that love should be displayed in our relationships. Two of the traits mentioned in the “love chapter” (1 Corinthians 13) are: “Love is patient” Und “Love suffers long.”

Paul understood how vital this was. In Kolosser 1:9–11, he prays that believers would be strengthened for “all patience and long-suffering with joy.” Later, in Kolosser 3:12–13, schreibt er:

“So zieht nun an als Auserwählte Gottes, Heilige und Geliebte, herzliches Erbarmen, Freundlichkeit, Demut, Sanftmut, Geduld; ertragt einander und vergebt einander… wie auch Christus euch vergeben hat, so sollt auch ihr tun.”

Maybe one reason we see so many broken homes, fractured assemblies, and strained relationships is that we’ve lost sight of just how patient the God of patience really is. Perhaps that’s why we’re so quick to discard or disregard one another.

Anker für heute:
May we come to see Him more and more as the God of Patience—and may He help us reflect that same patience toward one another.