Strong spirits: patient and kind
And kindness allows us to see people and treat people as God would.
Have you ever had to wait for something a very long time? How did you do with that? Do you find it hard to be kind to certain people? Why?
Paul tells us that love "is patient and kind " (1 Corinthians 13:4). I can assure you that there are plenty of times when I fail in one or both of those characteristics.
The Bible is full of stories of people who had to wait: Moses, Abraham, David, Jesus. In one story, Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob, has to wait 22 years before he could deal with his brothers who had sold him into slavery. In those years, God had made him into a forgiving and gracious man, so that when he could deal with his brothers, he did so with kindness. He said, "You plotted evil against me, but God turned it into good..." (Genesis 50:20). He forgave and blessed them.
Patience is possible when we trust that God is in control. And kindness allows us to see people and treat people as God would. Trying to be this way won't work. We need to submit to God.
Need to be more patient and kind? Submit to God.
Besides serving as pastor at Caledonia Congregational Church, Gary Schwerin is the Spiritual Development Minister for the YMCA of the Rock River Valley and Executive Director of Bridge Ministries of Rockford. Prior to launching Bridge Ministries, Gary spent many years in leadership with Young Life. His columns appear here every Sunday - to see them all, subscribe to our daily email.
