Patience

Patience

I have come to the realization that I've never really grasped what patience was until I had a baby in my house. When our son cries out for food, diaper change, because of gas, just needs to be held, or for some other reason we go without sleep to figure it out or to at least console him to get him (and us) back to sleep. We respond with patience so we can better understand and to get our son what he needs.

As a parent, we would be unloving and wrong if we were to toss up our hands and just walk away from our child in need. We can only guess what our children need when they're at this stage where crying is their only means of communication. But as they grow and mature they can communicate to us their numerous needs and desires.

Contrast this, however, with God and our relationship with Him. He knows our needs before we ever realize them and, even more than this, He has already provided for those needs (Lk.12; Matt.6:32-33; Rom.5:6-11).

This process of raising our son has caused me to be overwhelmed with gratitude to God. How eternally patient God has been, and how blessed we are for His patience in our lives that has afforded us the opportunity to obey Him - even now. How God has suffered His creation to go through this process of growth throughout time, and all along He has sustained them, provided for them, cared for their needs, even given them His Son as the perfect sacrifice to save their souls. Even now, God looks down upon us and allows us to continue (2Pet.3:9), graciously giving us time to get our lives right through obedience to His word.

I don't even know how I would react if our son suddenly pushed us away and refused our care. Further, I don't know how I would react if, later on in his life as he grew and matured, he just cast us off as his parents and refused to be called one of ours after we had raised him, provided for his every need, given him life, given him love. This would be unnatural in our human terms, we would be shocked and heartbroken if this were to happen. When natural, familial love is forsaken, rejected, and thrown away we can't help but gasp at the mindset that would lead one away from that love.

In human terms, we get it.

However, then I take a step back and I think of God. I think of what is only natural for the created to do with respect to the Creator, and yet how often does the created deny his Creator? How often do we CHOOSE to reject Him, how often we CHOOSE to disobey Him and walk away...I think of this and I'm at a loss for words, I'm dumbfounded. Yet, while this doesn't make sense when we truly meditate on it, don't we all do this to our Heavenly Father when we choose sin over obedience to Him (Rom.3:23)?

I think of how in my own life I have cast Him off many times; while I've realized His blessings and I've walked away from Him willingly, selfishly and foolishly choosing the passing pleasure of sin rather than the riches of God. How often I've chosen to walk away from His care - that care which I, like a child, need the most - rather than enjoy the blessings and privilege that only can be found by being called one of His children.

Yet, God has allowed me - a fallible and sinful man - to continue life. He's even allowed me time to consult His word, realize my errors, and provided the way to be restored to Him. What love! What a God! What a Savior!

While we consider, and marvel, at the patience and love of God may we not leave that thought there; friends, let's do something about it.

If our lives are out of line with God's word, then let us not waste another moment; let's get our lives straight before it's too late (2Thess.1:3-12)! God's patience and love are truly "awesome" - and I mean that word in the true sense and not in the way many have cheapened it (contrary to pop culture's thinking, "everything is [NOT] awesome" but God truly is).

One day that patience will cease; one day we'll be called to stand before Him and give account for these deeds done in the flesh (2Cor.5:10). What will your answer be in that Day?

Praise and thank God for His patience with us; take advantage of the blessing of obeying Him; speak to Him in that blessed privilege of prayer; lay on Him every burden, every care, and approach Him in godly fear and with thanksgiving (Phil.4:4-7; Matt.11:28-30; Jms.5:16).

Patience is truly a virtue, and our God most virtuous of all. May we set ourselves to be more like Him each and every moment He gives us life.