Patience is a Virtue
Main Scripture: James 5:7-8
I don’t know if you have ever heard of the title of this devotion spoken before, but I have many times growing up. Anytime that I was challenged to have to wait for something or wanted something to come faster my mom would always say “Patience is a Virtue.” After she said that I would probably roll my eyes or just walk away wanting that certain something to come faster.
Well many years later the phrase sounds a little different in my head. I understand that many times patience is hard but it’s necessary. But you might be wondering, why is patience necessary?
I can testify to many times in my life where waiting was tough but along the way I learned many things I wouldn’t have if I would have rushed into things. God often uses times in our lives where we are waiting for something to happen to allow growth. We often aren’t ready, and God is using that time to prepare us.
Some of you might be on a sports team, choir, color guard, track, cheer, or different clubs at school. There was probably a time in your life where you might not have made the team or maybe you made the team but you had to work hard to be able to get playing time or time to perform. If you sing in the choir you had to have patience and wait for the opportunity to get the solo you wanted. So many times in our life we need patience. As christians we need to have patience in God’s plan and his ultimate timing and not our own.
In the passage we see that James is writing to an early Christian community of believers and this still applies to us today.
“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”
James 5:7-8
Now, James uses the reference to crops, think about how long it takes for a crop to grow. It takes a long time and a lot of effort, there is a lot of patience in the process. The farmer has to learn different things to “perfect” growing certain crops. This is the same for us, we have to allow God time so that he can shape us and perfect us. In this way we are also to be patient for the Lord’s return to make everything right.
I leave you with a challenge… Pray and ask God to give you the patience you need, allow God to speak to you today and show you the ways that your patience can grow.
Love and Blessings,
Hannah McGill
Transformed Student Ministry
Transformed Student Ministry 