God, Will You Teach Me Perseverance and Patience?
The law of Moses says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest.
1 Corinthians 9:9-10, NLT
We can feel like we’re spinning our wheels, like our actions aren’t amounting to anything. We can be invested in a relationship that seems one-sided or praying for someone whose life keeps dipping downward.
A farmer doesn’t expect newly planted seed to be ready for harvest. Even when the harvest is pulled from the ground, there are still many steps between the yield and the enjoyment of it. It’s all those steps in between that we easily forget about.
Being joyfully engrossed in the process of growing good things is not just a distraction before we enjoy the bounty on the table. It’s part of the bounty on the table. Perseverance and patience yield much, and giving them the time they need to grow matters.
ACT
Buy a miniature model to put together at a craft store. Take your time, and enjoy being slow and deliberate as you go. Then look back to see not only the end result you created but also what God created in you through the process.
pray
God, teach me perseverance and patience.