How Patient Our God!

October 18, 2011

What a patient God we serve!

How patient He is with mankind.

Living within a different culture, a couple things that quickly stand out is the culture's view of time and use of time. 

     Sensitivity to time is much different here in Africa. Things rarely begin on time, and nearly everything takes more time than you expect. 

You often feel that you have spent your whole day trying to accomplish a small task, and that task often goes unfinished by the time your patience has run out, and you feel that you have repeated yourself in every language you know.

As i walked down a market line, getting the vegetables and fruit i needed, my patience felt to be running dry. Knowing that prices were being raised on me, simply because I am of a different skin color; therefore assumed to be unaware of what things should cost, and able to pay a higher price, hearing whispers and giggles from onlookers, as i asked for the price of this and that. Empty arms from that which i was trying to purchase, because I knew that a pineapple should not cost the price they were giving me, as my arms were, I felt the similar emptiness of patience within my heart. 

Then i thought of my God...how patient You are with us!

These are my complaints in dealing with people on a practical living basis of work and commerce, but You, You not only guide us and walk beside us through these dealings, but You deal with our hearts, and our Spiritual needs. 

Beyond that, You waited for us. How patiently Your loving kindness continued to knock upon the door of our heart, as we foolishly ignored, too busy with the cares of this life. Yet once welcomed in, You made Your home within our hearts, and continue to patiently work with us as You lead and guide, and repeat the same simple truths to us time and time again. "Trust Me. Wait upon Me. Obey." Do these sound familiar? You have surely been patient with me, and to whom much has been given, much will be required, right? Therefore i ought to be patient with others. 

     I am beginning to learn that You do not view time or measure time the same way that we do. I view time as a means to getting things accomplished, but You view time as an opportunity to grow. For You are looking at the heart, and time is a means for You to measure a heart's motives and willingness in a situation, not to accomplish earthly tasks, for what concern are those to You? You are the Lord of heaven, You need no help, You need nothing accomplished; yet in Your patience, You deal with mankind and use his time as an opportunity for Him to come to You, to be saved from his sins by Your precious gift of salvation. Your patient love is what has given us life. You patiently waited for us.

From creation, to the children of Israel, to the nations and the prophets, to the manger, to the cross, from the grave, to today, You have been waiting for Your people in patient love. Desiring their response to Your knock. Desiring that they than turn their view of time and use of time toward You, for Your Kingdom's work, and for Your working within our hearts.

     Through lessons within another culture's view on time, I am learning that my God is seeking that I offer to Him my time, not in measure of waht i accomplish, but how i love. Am i loving Him with the time I am given? Am i living willing for what He desires? Am I loving those He places in my pathway, even when I feel left empty-handed? Our patient God waits. He served while He waited, and if I am going to call myself His and claim that my time is surrendered into His hands; surely I ought to serve as I wait upon Him, and seek His patience to be evident in my life. That my focus would be on glorifying Him, not on accomplishing much...for things fade, tasks will need to be re-done, but loving people and giving them of your time, with all your heart--looking them in the eyes, understanding what they are saying, repeating yourself apart from frustration, listening with both ears, and working alongside them--even if that means working slower, showing love through living are the things that last. These are the things that count in the view of our God who dwells outside of time. He is eternal, and as we seek His patience, He will grant that which we need until we make it to eternity.

     Thank you God for being so patient with us. Help me to grow...to grow in love, to grow in heart, to grow in patience. To stop measuring time in things, and begin to measure time in the quality of serving and loving, for You first loved and served us.

Amina.