Lessons in Patience
Bob Salem holds the speed record for pushing a peanut up Pike’s Peak with his nose—or rather, with a spoon attached to his face. He accomplished the feat in seven days, working at night to avoid interruption from tourists. Bob is the fourth person to complete this stunt, which means three other very patient people have done it.
We might say their need for patience was self-inflicted, but so often in life that isn’t the case. We need patience. It’s a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and an essential virtue for becoming “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4). Patient people keep their heads when everyone around is in full panic. They’d like the situation to be different, but they don’t need it to be. They stay the course, trusting God for wisdom to act wisely (v. 5).
The problem with patience is there’s only one way to learn it. James says “the testing of your faith produces patience” (v. 3 nkjv). Such testing comes in ways big and small. I’m writing this from an airport. My 11:00 p.m. flight was delayed until 2:00 a.m., then canceled. After a night without sleep, I’m chugging coffee and hoping to make it home sometime. I don’t like wasting an entire, drowsy day in an airport, but my loving Father is teaching me patience.
I pray my lesson is finished for the day, but who knows? Time to check the standby list for the next flight.
By Mike Wittmer - Daily Bread Ministries
James 1:2–12 (NIV):
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
