We read throughout Scripture about God's patience. As we have seen throughout our Bible study this week, He is abundantly patient with us. This patience is not only meant to be received. It is meant to drive us to be patient with the people around us. At the core, God's own patience towards us is motivation for us to reflect God's patience to the people around us.
James writes in his letter to the early church to be patient in James 1:19, "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." This is a call to listen well, speak deliberately, and be slow to become angry. In other words, it is a call to patience. This patience can be difficult sometimes, especially when people in our lives are difficult to love and be patient towards. Although it can be difficult, these are the exact circumstances when we are called to exhibit patience.
This call from James is a call to you and me today. God has been extremely patient with us, and out of this patience, we are called to show the same to others. When our patience is wearing thin, we have to remind ourselves of the endless patience that God has for each one of us. When we choose patience, we are choosing to trust God rather than try to handle our trials on our own. May we be people who are quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry, and may the people we express patience to see the difference that God has made in our lives.
Do you have someone in your life who is difficult for you to show patience to? Spend some time praying for them. Ask God to develop patience in you as you interact with that person. As you go about your day, remember this prayer for patience and remember God's own patience to you. Make a choice to show patience, even when it is difficult.
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
