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When Your Patience Wears Thin
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Luke 17:3-4 So be careful! "If your brother or sister in God's family does something wrong, warn them. If they are sorry for what they did, forgive them. Even if they do something wrong to you seven times in one day, but they say they are sorry each time, you should forgive them."
Patience is one of those fine character traits that we’d all like to have, but that we never want to use. Because if you have to be patient with someone, then it’s likely because they’re driving you nuts!
I imagine that if I did something right now to annoy you, and then I realised my mistake and came to you to apologise, chances are, you’d probably forgive me, right? At least the first time.
But now imagine that I do that same thing to you over and over again. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, I do that same thing that annoyed you the first time, seven times today and again seven times tomorrow and again seven times the next day.
As wonderful a person as I’m sure you are, my hunch is that at some point, sooner or later, your patience would wear thin. Am I right? And right there, you have the reason that relationships fall apart. Right there is the reason for marriage breakdowns, church splits, savage politics in the workplace.
So, what’s the answer? How can you get off the path littered with broken relationships? Here’s it is, straight from Jesus:
Luke 17:3-4 So be careful! “If your brother or sister in God’s family does something wrong, warn them. If they are sorry for what they did, forgive them. Even if they do something wrong to you seven times in one day, but they say they are sorry each time, you should forgive them.”
Hang on, what? What did He just say? The same person does the same thing to you seven times a day and each time, you have to forgive them. Is He mad? I mean, who would come up with a crazy idea like that?
Jesus. The truth is that if you want to keep your relationships together, you can’t ever stop forgiving.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Comments
Berni Dymet
Hi Jane, great question. I think that the Scripture still applies, we should always forgive. At the same time as loving people, we do need to be wise. Jesus counselled His disciples to be as gentle as doves and wise as serpents when they were going out to share the good news. (Matthew 10:16-20). That’s a great principle. And even when people do hurt us and not repent, we should still forgive. That doesn’t mean though that we can’t stand back from them and deal with their bad behaviour. Blessings, Berni
Jane Gore
The scripture specifically says “If your brother or sister in God’s family does something wrong”
What if a non Christian repeatedly fails you (mostly purposely for their personal gain) …… this is so much harder to forgive and feels like accepting and condoning bad behaviour. Surely that will never win them to Christ ?
Sharynne
Thank you so much. My elderly father is driving me nuts as you say and wants to control absolutely everything even in my home. This is just what I needed to hear to. Thank you. I am also a bit like dad so obviously need to learn to be more flexible so I do not do this same thing to my children. God works in many ways to communicate with us.
Višnja
Your delivery made me 🙂
Annoying people are sooo annoying hahaha