December 13th Devotion
How to Have Patience Like Jesus
By: Lori Freeland
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” - Colossians 3:12
Patience is hard.
In our fast-food, drive-thru, one-day-Amazon-delivery world, it’s a lost art. A muscle we don’t like to exercise often. Yet as Christians, we’re called upon to use that muscle. God desires for us to wait steadfastly upon Him and be longsuffering with each other.
Patience hurts.
A few years ago, I broke my ankle. After weeks of healing from surgery, it finally got cleared to bear weight. That first second my foot hit the floor, fire burned up my calf and my ankle wobbled. It took weeks of physical therapy and painful repetition to get back into walking shape. But the more I practiced, the easier it got. Building patience is kind of like that.
Patience is something God understands.
After all, He deals with us 24/7. I can only imagine how much I test Him weekly, daily, even hourly—yet He never wobbles under the weight. He has an endless supply of patience, and He’s willing to share.
When you find yourself struggling, you can pray to have patience like Jesus.
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
Some of God’s people are hard to love. They can be moody, mean, difficult, and impossible to understand. They blame you for things you didn’t do and have expectations you can’t meet. Sometimes you might wish they weren’t in your life.
You need God to show you how much He loves them. He can reveal what He sees under the surface, where they’re hurting, and tell you how to make a difference. Thank God for giving us patience to be kind and compassionate when we don’t have our own and for loving us when we are the ones who are difficult in someone else’s life.
By: Lori Freeland
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” - Colossians 3:12
Patience is hard.
In our fast-food, drive-thru, one-day-Amazon-delivery world, it’s a lost art. A muscle we don’t like to exercise often. Yet as Christians, we’re called upon to use that muscle. God desires for us to wait steadfastly upon Him and be longsuffering with each other.
Patience hurts.
A few years ago, I broke my ankle. After weeks of healing from surgery, it finally got cleared to bear weight. That first second my foot hit the floor, fire burned up my calf and my ankle wobbled. It took weeks of physical therapy and painful repetition to get back into walking shape. But the more I practiced, the easier it got. Building patience is kind of like that.
Patience is something God understands.
After all, He deals with us 24/7. I can only imagine how much I test Him weekly, daily, even hourly—yet He never wobbles under the weight. He has an endless supply of patience, and He’s willing to share.
When you find yourself struggling, you can pray to have patience like Jesus.
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
Some of God’s people are hard to love. They can be moody, mean, difficult, and impossible to understand. They blame you for things you didn’t do and have expectations you can’t meet. Sometimes you might wish they weren’t in your life.
You need God to show you how much He loves them. He can reveal what He sees under the surface, where they’re hurting, and tell you how to make a difference. Thank God for giving us patience to be kind and compassionate when we don’t have our own and for loving us when we are the ones who are difficult in someone else’s life.
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