Heart of CompassionSample

Clothed with Patience

Raise your hand if you like waiting!

Does patience come naturally to you? Maybe people describe you as a patient person. But for many people, patience is definitely a chore. It’s a virtue, so it’s something good, but it’s no easy task to hurry up and wait.

Patience is the last item to wear in Colossians 3:12, which gives us five actions we can take to show the world that we belong to Jesus. But is patience really an action? Patience isn’t just waiting. People can wait impatiently. Instead, patience is a way to wait.

What do you wait for? Do you wait for food to be ready once you order in-app? Do you wait to finish a school lecture you don’t enjoy listening to? Do you wait for the traffic light to change color so you can get to your friend’s house or an important event? We all wait for things every day. But what about the big issues you wait for—the ones that can’t be solved with a traffic light change or food delivery service?

What about waiting for someone you care about to give their life to Jesus? What about waiting for a family member to break free of addiction? What about waiting for yourself to heal during your own mental health journey? We need some real patience for the hard things in life. In fact, we need some supernatural patience that will last us a lifetime!

The book of 2 Peter speaks about this kind of patience, telling us that it is part of how God relates to us. Second Peter 3:9 says this: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

This is the big idea behind God’s patience: He is the most patient being in the universe because He wants everyone to be saved. That is so incredibly loving! God has given us a beautiful example of what patience should look like. When God wants us to clothe ourselves with patience like Colossians 3:12 says, He has shown us what that should look like.

So, what is your heart waiting for today? Are you being patient? Do you need God’s help to be more patient? Tell God about it.

How does knowing more about His loving patience help you to wait differently? Share with a friend.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

© 2023 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved.

Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.