Showing Patience
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
1 As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. 3 Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. 4 All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people. 5 We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. 6 There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.
Ephesians 4:1-6
Memory Verse
Ephesians 4:2
2 Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other.
When Karissa’s family took a vacation to visit cousins, they had to drive for a few days to reach their destination. It didn’t take long for Karissa to start asking her parents the repeated questions they dreaded hearing, “What time is it? Are we there yet?” Even though she could see the clock in their car and knew that it would take them a few days to get to where they were going, Karissa just couldn’t wait. Whether she was bored or just excited to get there, patiently riding along didn’t feel like something she wanted to do at that moment.
In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul tells his friends to be humble, gentle, and patient while bearing with one another. He was teaching them how to act with each other—how to get along, show love, and live together as fellow followers of Christ. When we love other people, those are the things we want to do for them. We want to be patient with them, not get angry too quickly, and understand who they are and what they are trying to say. Because in the end that is what God does for us every day.
Being patient means being able to wait for something to happen, especially something we really want. Like Karissa on her family's car trip, she really wanted to get to where they were going so that she could see her cousins. For her, being patient meant being able to wait to arrive. Being patient might also mean putting up with someone who isn’t doing exactly what they're supposed to be doing. Karissa’s parents had to be patient with their daughter and her repeated question, “Are we there yet?” Being patient was their way of showing love to her. Look for opportunities to be patient with other people and with yourself today.
Prayer
Lord, teach me to be patient and help me to show patience to my friends and family today. Amen.Related Resources
Bret Lamsma
Bret Lamsma is the Director of Faith Formation at First Christian
Reformed Church in Denver, Colorado. He has also served churches in
California and Michigan. He has a passion for youth ministry and
intergenerational ministry in the local church. When he isn’t working at
church or writing he enjoys hanging out with his wife and 2 children,
hiking, woodworking, and watching movies.