Our lives in addiction were often shaped by characteristics of impatience and selfishness. We didn’t take much time to think about others or be present with them. Communicating appropriately in an uplifting way never occurred to us. We used angry words to hurt and manipulate and vent our frustration. Now we have come into recovery, we are seeking to find a way of life that reflects the kindness, goodness, and patience God created us to have with one another.
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. (Ephesians 4:2 NLT)
It takes deliberate patient thinking to live with integrity and to consistently tell the truth wherever we are. It takes patience to see a job through to the end. Beginnings are easy but the “keeping on keeping on” until the job is done takes a lot of determination. Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. (Ecclesiastes 7:8 NLT)
We were created to live and work with others. It is a trying task to learn how to co-operate with each other, to listen to another point of view, to give way to someone else’s ideas, and yet that’s how real life works. As we learn to give proper attention to details that never mattered to us in the past, we will need to be patient over and over again, both with ourselves and others. We will also need to patiently consider the feelings and needs of people around us. 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)
We need to regularly ask God to fill us with the patient fruit of His Holy Spirit as we deal with core character defects that have been the norm for us for numerous years.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Come and fill me up again with Your Holy Spirit who will produce the fruit of patience in me. Help me to deal patiently with myself, others, and the situations that confront me. Amen
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