From motherhood to caregiving and everything in between, we have opportunities to practice patience every day. But oh, how hard it is.
When I first developed the outline for my book, Prayers of Hope for Caregivers, I included a devotion for losing patience with God. But as I talked to caregivers time and again, I heard a recurring theme. Yes, we get impatient with God, but perhaps more often, we lose patience with the person under our care.
Today I’m sharing five passages of Scripture that get to the heart of patience. No matter what you’ve said or done in your moments of impatience, today can be a new start. Let God wipe away your guilt and fill you with His love.
(Keep scrolling to the end of the post where you’ll find shareable versions of these verses.)
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. – Colossians 3:12 (NLT)
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. – Romans 15:5 (NLT)
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. – Colossians 4:6 (NIV)
Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. – I Corinthians 13:4-7 (AMP)
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. – I John 4:16 (NIV)
