Good morning and happy Saturday. January is gone, February is here, and time keeps on flowing like sand through an hourglass. Such are the days of our lives.
It has often been said that patience is a virtue. However, we live in a fast-paced world where it seems difficult to be patient. I am the type that wants the microwave to cook faster. I can’t believe when the car in front of me takes an extra 30 seconds at the drive-thru or atm. We have an Instant Pot high speed pressure cooker at home to cook our meals as quickly as possible. We have an air fryer to speed things along. There have been times at lunch, where I was curious about my meal-in-a-box that didn’t need refrigeration and only needed one minute to cook in the microwave. I wondered how that could be possible, if it was real food, and if it was actually healthy to eat. Nevertheless, it tasted ok, cost less than $ 2, was only 200 calories, and, most importantly, it was really fast. (Maybe I do have a problem after all).
Much can be said about the need for patience in our personal lives and well as the life of our church. The Bible tells us that “love is patient.” It also teaches us that love is a characteristic of the fruit of the spirit. The Christian life is a wonderful mix of living with the urgency of the Gospel while patiently waiting for God to move in His timing. Even though we might want to become a Christian and then immediately become like Jesus in all facets of our lives, it simply doesn’t work that way. Sometimes, it is like we think that it would be great if everyone we shared the Gospel with prayed right then, immediately got baptized, instantly matured in their faith, and then left for the mission field. However, what we discover in the Bible is a much longer process of evangelism and discipleship. The picture is often more of a long-term commitment to individuals and groups of people. In reality, a church is planted in a certain area to commit to doing that for the long haul.
Through the years, God has allowed some incredible things to take place that remind us of the importance of patience, persistence, and purpose. As you know, we have been ministering in the 75th Street area for a long time. It all began at an apartment complex which was called Quivira Place back then. It is amazing that through patience, or longevity in ministry, how many lives we have had the chance to impact over the years. Obviously, that doesn’t mean that everything always goes well and that each day is easy. Some weeks are better than other. However, when you look at things from a bigger perspective, you can see how God is at work. God called a group of people to plant a church in an area that has its challenges. I am confident that there are other locations that might be easier except for one thing – this is where God wanted this church. I truly believe that as a church we are called to love God, love others, impact our community and change the world. Through intentionality and longevity, we will continue to see God do incredible things. The paradox of the Christian life is to live with urgency and to be patient and allow God to work on His timeline.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5)
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