Patience

1 Corinthians 13:1 “Love is patient love is kind.”

People will only listen when they are ready to listen. Patience is required if one is to be successful while standing in the gap.

The word patience in Greek is better rendered long-suffering. And that is what we do. We mourn over people’s mistakes. We are anxious when we see people wandering in darkness. Because people are so resistant, we are left feeling helpless.

Perseverance describes the necessary mindset. In American English perseverance implies grim tolerance. But in the Greek of the Bible, it carries with it the expectation of victory! In being patient, while persevering, we need to remember that success is not ours to achieve. God is working. He is allowing the pain of sin to bring people to a point of insight. As life teachers we can just plant seeds. It is up to God to transform lives.

It is a great joy when we witness someone else’s ah-ha moment. This is really where our work begins. People need to be nurtured through their questions, guided in ways that bring them to true life. I hope that you have done the work necessary for the task. I assume that you have done your own soul searching and self-examination so that your patience and kindness come out of a deep place of respect. We are not white-washing or brainwashing people. People will come to it on their own because God has instilled in all of us a desire for truth. Truth is absolute. Most people will find it if given the resources. It may not look like something you can relate to as they take it on as their own, but it is durable and real. One of the beauties of the Bible is that it is broad enough to include everyone, yet personal enough to address each person uniquely. So just appreciate people where they are at knowing that God will make a way.