2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
If God is patient with us, shouldn’t we be patient with other people?
I like 17th century François Fénelon’s observation. “Sometimes we find the most surprising faults in otherwise good people. I’ve found God leaves, even in the most spiritual people, certain weaknesses which seem to be entirely out of place.” He goes on to say dealing with other people’s faults teaches us patience and exposes our own imperfections. When we encounter others’ weaknesses, rather than giving in to frustration, why not thank God for the opportunity to become more like Him? He promises that when we meet him face to face, we’ll be like him, but we have some lessons to learn first (I John 3:2).
If God is patient with us, shouldn’t we be patient with ourselves?
Author Mark Buchanan writes in his most recent book, God Walk, “At my age, I should be farther along than I am. I shouldn’t be so impatient, so quick to judge, so ready to blurt out my opinion, so easily rattled…. But the going is slow.” He concludes that learning to trust God and fully love other people takes time. Rather than viewing our mistakes and mess-ups as definers of who we are, maybe we should recognize them as simply a part of the journey, not the destination.
If God is patient with us, shouldn’t we be patient in circumstances we have no control over?
Right now, we’re awaiting the birth of our third grandson, the first for our son and daughter-in-law. He’s a week overdue. It’s unsettling to be sitting in this “waiting room.” Lauren’s “go bag” is ready to grab en route to the hospital, the final touches in the nursery, completed, and our calendars have been cleared since week thirty-eight in case she came early. We have no control over the day this little guy makes his entrance. But the One who created him does. And this “interlude” is reminding us God’s timing is perfect.
Peter assures us of God’s patience with us. If it weren’t for his patience, some of us would completely miss his redeeming plan. So let’s embrace that rare virtue of patience and reflect it in a hurry-up world.