Be Patient, Duties of a Brother [or Sister] #4

...be patient with all...(1 Thess 5:14, NKJV)

...be patient with all; be longsuffering or have patience with all.

In all the things we discussed in the we discussed in the previous three posts none are as important as this. Without patience we will undoubtedly do or say the wrong thing to someone we are trying to help. Without patience we will raise our voice, make hurtful statements, and sever ties with people who need our presence in their lives.

We must always remember that not everyone is going to "get it" at the same rate others do. Heck, it took some of us an extra long time to "get it" but I can bet that during that extra long time there was someone who was patient with you. Through all of the times where they could not for the life of the figure out why we were doing or saying some of the things we did, they remained patient with us, and in the end, we were better people for it.

We have to possess that same fruit of the spirit. If your patience is short, pray for more. If your patience is easily worn thin, pray for perseverance. And if your patience is conditional, meaning that you have more patience with some people than you do with others, then pray for impartiality because we've been commanded and exhorted to be patient with all. Not just for some people, not just the people we have affection for, but for all people.

So, today, pledge to yourself and to your God that you will indeed be patient will all. And keep that pledge through prayer and practice. Make patience a habitual part of your life; that way, when it's time to warn the unruly, to comfort the faint-hearted, or to uphold the weak, you will be equipped to do it properly and for as long as is necessary. And in this remember that being patient with all also means being patient with yourself.

Prayer for the day: Dearest Lord, grant us the grace to be as patient with ourselves and others as you are with us. Help us to depend on your strength as we serve others in your name. Amen.