Patience

Be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

James 5:7-8

PATIENCE IS SO hard to learn. For Lindsey, the challenge involved learning not to lose her temper with her two young children, who constantly pressed her about their real and imagined needs. For Charles, it was his boss at work, who often made him stay late when he wanted to go home. For Christy, it was the girls in her Sunday school class. Did they ever listen to anything she said?

So many of us struggle with being patient. But how does God teach us patience? Often he does so by putting us in situations where we have to be patient. He wants us to learn and grow in this character trait, so he frequently puts us in circumstances that push our patience to the limit.

We have so many things to learn in this world. Are you developing in the area of patience? If not, don’t be surprised if God lets you encounter situations that strengthen your patience. His encouragement is to “take courage.” One day the Lord will return and reward you for your patient faithfulness.