Daily Devotional for February 1, 2019
Practice Patience
CRASH!
“Mom! Grayson knocked over my tower again!” Kenric wailed as Mom stepped into the living room.
Grayson toddled over to Mom, sucking on his fingers, and Mom scooped him up in her arms. “I’m sorry, Kenric. I know you’re getting frustrated, but your brother is still a baby. He doesn’t know how hard you’re working on that tower. He only knows how fun it is to knock it down.”
“When will he learn?” Kenric asked with a frown. “It feels like he’s going to be a baby forever!”
Mom grinned and rumpled Kenric’s curls. “I seem to remember that you used to love knocking down towers when you were a baby too.”
Kenric gasped. “No way!”
Mom pulled out her phone and clicked on a video. Kenric watched himself as a baby knocking down his cousin Macy’s tower with a wide grin. He squealed with delight as Macy clapped and yelled, “Good job, Kenny!” The video ended with Macy carefully and patiently showing him how to stack the blocks.
“How was Macy so patient with me when I was a baby?” Kenric asked.
Mom rocked Grayson back and forth as his eyelids began to close. “Well, I’m sure she isn’t always patient, just like I’m not always patient with you boys. But since we trust in Jesus, we have his Holy Spirit to remind us to do and say things that show others we have Him in our hearts. Things like the fruit of the Spirit…love, joy, peace—”
“Patience!” Kenric blurted excitedly. “So, because I trust in Jesus, that means He can help me be patient?”
“Absolutely!” Mom bent down to gently lay Grayson in his crib. The baby’s eyes fluttered open, and he started to cry. Mom sighed as she picked Grayson back up and began to rock him again.
Kenric smiled and patted his mom’s arm. “I bet it’s hard taking care of two boys sometimes. Thank you for practicing patience, Mom.”
Mom gave Kenric a big hug. “And thank you, Jesus, for always being patient with us!” -Savannah Coleman
How about you?
Do you have trouble being patient with family members or friends? If you trust in Jesus, He has given you His Spirit to teach you His ways and help you remember His words. We don’t have to struggle by ourselves to be patient. Through His Spirit, God will help us practice patience so we can show others His love.
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