Patience

Clothed in Patience 
 Clothe yourselves with … patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Most of us would like to have more patience, but who has the time to work at it? Our “Things to Do” box is overflowing (mostly with deadlines that were yesterday), and we don’t see much change soon on the horizon. Our calendars are so filled that we’re scribbling in the margins, and still we can’t seem to catch up. Hurry is the curse of a society measured in productivity.

Dr. James Dobson has some sobering words about our hurried pace of life:

It isn’t easy to implement a slower lifestyle. Prior commitments have to be met. Financial pressures must be confronted. The employer seldom asks if you want to accept a new assignment. Your business would fail without your supervision. Your patients have no other physician to whom they can turn …. There seems to be no place to stop …. Thus, we live our entire lives in the fast lane, hurtling down the road toward heart failure.

It’s no secret that a lot of us would like to slow down and live more relaxed lives. We all long for more peace and tranquility; we just don’t know how to go about getting it.

The problem with this modern-day dynamic is that it leaves little time to focus on God and his will for our life. We’re so busy producing that we never stop long enough to find out what God wants us to produce. A full calendar is the natural enemy of godly priorities. “A patient man has great understanding,” says Solomon (Proverbs 14:29, niv). Patience is the trait that God needs in order to relay his desires to our heart. God begins to speak when we stop and wait for him.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act,” says King David (Psalm 37:7). If you want to hear God, stop rushing, he is telling us. Linger in his presence. Allow yourself the time to sit back and meditate on God. Listen for the Lord’s “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12).

“Clothe yourselves with … patience,” says Paul (Colossians 3:12). It is through slowing down and waiting that we feel God’s power and presence.

Today’s Reading  Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:12  

Reflection  Reflect on the fruit of the Spirit outlined in Galatians 5:22-23. Do these traits describe your character? What would the Lord have you pray about this?  

Quote  “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” (Desecration, 394)