The Patience and Vision of Jesus

I can’t tell you how many times I have prayed my grief over my own bone-headed decisions and actions.  When I was younger, I could always take comfort in the fact that I was still early in my walk, that the frontal lobe of my brain was still incomplete, that I was inexperienced, eager, immature, and a host of excuses.  Now I’m over four decades into this relationship with Jesus and I still find that I am bone-headed in my actions–just a little less often than once was the case.

The only thing I can say is this:  Jesus was very patient with me.

He was patient with Peter. . . though his bravado led him to claim that he was above failure, Peter denied Jesus.  Even though he had experienced the liberation of the Spirit and led the Gentiles to faith, he crumbled under the weight of pressure to such an extent that Paul had to confront him.  Jesus continued to use him.

He was patient with James and John. . .though their hunger for power and special status was so strong that they put their mother up to a conversation with Jesus, asking for them to be given the places of honor in Heaven.  James would be martyred, and John would wind up in exile, but they would both be faithful to the end.

Jesus calls us not because WE have unique power, but because HE DOES.  And He will not stop working in us until we are complete, whole, and home.

After all these years, I’m grateful that among all the other attributes we acknowledge about Jesus, His PATIENCE covers me.