Thoughts for the Day

Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I quite like playing the card game Patience, and have tried dozens of different games designed for a single player. I particularly like those that use two packs of cards. On the other hand there is one game that drives me to insanity and that is 'clock patience', as it hardly ever works out, and there is no skill involved. Games like Patience are well named, but many other things in life require us to be patient, often concerned with systems or with people.

• Leo Tolstoy once said: 'Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience.'

Lots of us would like to learn the piano, but the thought that it might take ten years before we're really proficient, and the fact that we shall have times when we seem to be going backwards rather than forwards, means we never take up learning it. It's no different with trying to have patience with other people. To be proficient we must keep on trying.

James in his letter warns Christians to be patient about the time that the Lord will return. Since God's time is not our time, it could be any time! In the meantime let us learn to be patient in all things - not passively, but actively try to be patient.

Lord Jesus Christ,
help us to learn patience,
with people and situations.
When we lose our patience
may we confess our sin
and try again.
You are patient with us
and we ask Your guidance
in how to persevere patiently.
Amen.