‘So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; ‘
Colossians 3:12
A couple of years ago, I had this colleague. I talk about her a lot because she helped me grow in my walk with God, just not in the way you would expect.
If I had to describe her when I first met her, I would have used one word: annoying. Our temperaments were completely opposite. She was the kind of person you had to ask permission to even do something nice for. To visit her, you had to ask. Even if she was sick in the hospital, you had no right to just show up. She once left us in the sun for hours for coming to visit her while she was sick without her permission. I was livid.
She hid this bad character under the cover of being an introvert. I complained about her to my pastors. I complained about her to Jesus. I literally carried her name to prayer.
The Man In the Mirror
Until one day God checked me. God said to me, have you ever considered that your temperament is excessive for her too? That, in her eyes, you have bad character too. Trust me, that was too much truth for me to swallow, but I had to.
I am the kind of person who will open your door before I knock. I will shout your name from the staircase. I will brush you off mid-sentence. I rarely let people get a word in. Yet, I was angry because someone else had boundaries.
That’s the thing with us. We lose patience with people for what we consider their imperfections, all the while not paying attention to our own imperfections. We are quick to label people as difficult, annoying, or hard to deal with, without stopping to ask ourselves how difficult we might be for them, too.
Endure People
And in case you missed it, the Amplified Translation says patience is the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes with good temper (Colossians 3:12, AMP).
That phrase is important. To endure unpleasantness. And where do you think unpleasantness comes from most times? People. Injustices are done to you by people. So when Scripture talks about patience here, it is not talking about waiting for what God has promised. It is talking about how you deal with people. And people can be annoying.
Patience is your ability to tolerate someone you find unpleasant. Someone whose temperament does not work for you. Someone whose habits you do not like. And, yes, you are still expected to love them and their “bad character”.
Why?
First, you are not perfect. You have excesses too. It is funny how in our stories, they are always the problem. If I had told you only her side and not mine, you would have judged her. But I also had flaws. She tolerated my loudness. She tolerated my lack of boundaries. And because I was her leader, it did not give me the right to trample on her space.
Second, God is patient with you.
Tell me a time God looked at your flaws and said, “I am done with you.” We would not be here if He ever did that. Today you are consistent, tomorrow you are not. Yet God is still patient with you. And it is that same patience He expects you to extend to others.
Jesus told the story of the unforgiving servant, the one who was forgiven much but refused to forgive his fellow servant. (Matthew 18:21–35) If you truly understand how much God has forgiven you, patience with people will not be optional.
So today, I want to encourage you to be patient, not just with situations, but with people.
Prayer
Lord, help me to be more patient with people. Help me to see them through Your eyes. In Jesus’ name, amen.
