Healing Family Relationships Through PatienceNäide

God calls us to be patient with Him. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart..." (Luke 10:27). If "love is patient," then part of what it means to love God is that we are to be patient with Him. The scriptures you read call us to adopt a spirit of stillness and waiting.

I think every Christian struggles to some degree when it comes to unanswered prayers. We pray for weeks, months, years, and "nothing" seems to happen. Where is God? What is He doing? Why is He not doing anything? Is He even listening?

When my son was four years old, he said to me, "Daddy, I don't like after." "What?" "I don't like after." Son, what do you mean?" "Dessert is after dinner. Video games are after school. Games are after cleanup. I don't like after."

I agree with him! I don't like after either. I like now. But no good parent gives their child everything they ask for now. Sometimes a good parent says "no," or sometimes a good parent says "wait."

Reflection Question: Where in your life do you need to practice patience with God's timing, trusting that His "after" is better than your "now"?