“You who are Spiritual” (part five)
John D. Telgren


Next in the list of Spiritual qualities is patience. It is a no-brainer to see how patience is needed in order to restore a brother in sin with a spirit of gentleness. The pre-requisite for patience is to be God-centered. As long as a person is self-centered, it will be hard if not impossible to truly be patient. In being God centered, we are reminded of how patient God has been with us.

One example of God’s patience comes from the Abraham narratives in Genesis. God promised that he would give Canaan to Abraham’s descendants. But it wouldn’t for many more generations. Why? God says,

"Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete (Gen 15:6)."

The Amorite had already been in Canaan for about three hundred years at this point. They were a wicked people. But God was patient with them for over 700 years! But that is nothing compared to the biggest demonstration of God’s patience. God has demonstrated thousands of years of patience with the human race, which includes us!

So, if patience is part of the character of God, then it will also be part of the character of his people. Patience is part of what it means to be spiritual, or godly. Patience allows for repentance. If it weren’t for God’s patience, we’d all be lost. So, is there a lesson for us when we are trying to reconcile an erring loved one to God?