| September
18 Wisdom and
Patience
We have seen it is wise to
cover over an offense in
Proverbs 17:9 but here we see where we gain
the ability to overlook problems. It is
patience that comes from wisdom.
We should be careful when
praying for patience however because it comes
only through experience. We gain patience
only by being in situations that require the use
of patience.
A youth pastor once prayed
for patience and ended up with Tony (name
changed) as a result. Tony had ADD and
came from a bad family situation. While
other youth came and went Tony kept hanging
around even though it didn't seem as if anything
was sinking in because Tony needed to be loved.
It was only by the grace
of God that the youth pastor could deal with
Tony at all. On the other hand, dealing
with other situations seemed like a piece of
cake in comparison.
Patience is not gained
overnight. It also requires a great amount
of wisdom. It is the ability to look at
the big picture and realize that the present
situation isn't that important whatever the
circumstances. Most things seem trivial
when we know and understand that God is in
control of the big picture. |
