This year I
have been preaching through the Gospel of Mark and really enjoyed it. Constantly being in the text of Mark has
given me a whole new picture of Christ that is even more amazing than I
anticipated. Recently, I took out from
the local library King’s Cross by
Timothy Keller which reads like a commentary on Mark’s Gospel. It is well written and filled with great
application.
I came across
a quote about patience that I wanted to share:
“Patience is love for the long haul;
it is bearing up under difficult circumstances, without giving up or giving in
to bitterness. Patience means working when gratification is delayed. It means taking what life offers—even if it
means suffering—without lashing out. And
when you’re in a situation that you’re troubled over or when there’s a delay or
pressure on you or something’s not happening that you want to happen, there’s
always a temptation to come to the end of your patience. You may well have lost
your patience before you’re even aware of it.” (King’s
Cross pg. 59)
Patience is
one thing that has stood out about Jesus.
He was extremely patient with people, especially with the Twelve who
would eventually abandon him at the Cross. Small wonder that the first description
of love is that of patience in Paul’s famous Love Chapter (1 Cor 13:4). As I look at myself compared to Christ I see
how far short I fall. Sadly I have
lacked patience with people on numerous occasions. And the people I lack patience with most frequently
are those I am called to love most regularly. The roles of husband, father and
pastor have all revealed how impatient I can be.
My only hope
then is to look to him who has been so patient with me and trust his grace to
work his patience in me.
“Grant that
we may follow the example of Jesus’s patience”—from The Book of Common Prayer
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