PATIENCE REQUIRES ENERGY
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.” Romans 15:5, ESV
Theme: Work on cultivating patience, endurance and encouragement as you follow Jesus Christ.
THE CHAOS OF ENTROPY
The Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us that the universe naturally tends toward disorder—chaos, discord, entropy. Energy must be expended to offset this decay. I see this principle in my own home daily. Just yesterday, I walked into my kitchen to find the dishes hadn’t magically washed themselves. If I let them sit for longer than 24 hours? Entropy. The laundry piling up and the paper clutter on the counter are reminders that, without regular effort, our home quickly becomes overwhelmed by disorder. The lazy path may be easier, but it leads to a mess.
PATIENCE IN RELATIONSHIPS
I’ve come to recognize the second law of thermodynamics in my relationships, as well. Every relationship requires you to expend some energy on patience…relationships with your children, with your parents, with your co-workers, with your best friends, and even with your pets. Patience is especially challenging during heated times, like an election season.
I’m fortunate to have friendships across the political spectrum, offering me a unique opportunity to embody the extravagant love of Jesus to those with whom I often disagree. These interactions present abundant opportunities to practice gentleness and patience. Even, or perhaps especially, when we’d rather argue, we are called to “with all humility and gentleness, with patience [bear] with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2, ESV). In fact, James, the brother of Jesus, tells us plainly that our Christian faith should be characterized by great effort as an outward expression of the condition of our hearts (see James 2:17).
ENERGY OR ENTROPY
If you and I, as individuals, aren’t actively cultivating and growing our patience among believers and with our non-believing friends, we risk falling into relational decay. Healthy relationships depend on forbearance, which requires energy – especially during divisive cultural moments. No wonder Paul calls God the “God of endurance and encouragement” when he exhorts us to live in harmony with others (Romans 15:5). Living in harmony with others requires both of those! In our relationships, we have a choice – we can take the hard-but-good path, or we can take the easy-but-messy path: energy or entropy.
Make it Personal: We are in a season where it can be difficult to show patience. Patience is the hard path…the path that requires energy. The good news is that it’s also a fruit of the spirit, which means that as we grow in our relationship with Christ, our hearts will naturally also grow more patient toward those who like to test our relational endurance. Think about a relationship that is currently testing your patience. This week, commit to praying for that person and reflecting on the things you love about them. Sometimes our hearts follow our actions!
Pray: Father God, I know that patience is the natural outcome of a life lived with intentional love. Help me to love others so radically that we cannot help but come together in Your Name. Let me live in such a way that my commitment to growing in You overshadows any earthly desire, opinion, or trinket I may be clinging to. Bend my heart toward You so that it will bend toward others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: Romans 12:18; Colossians 3:12-13; Philippians 2:3-4
Weekly Memory Verse: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35, ESV