It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day one in the eleventh week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Patience From Wisdom

“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.“
Proverbs 19:11 (NIV)

Are you a patient person?  Would your friends agree?  In what ways are you more, or less, patient now than you were a year ago?  What caused the change?  How has your level of wisdom changed in the same time period?  How does wisdom increase your patience?  How does patience increase your wisdom?

The old joke says to never pray for patience because God may answer by putting us into a situation that requires great patience.  While many would view patience as a noble quality, few in our culture are eager to wait for anything.  Wisdom is gained through a combination of experience and the time necessary to see that experience from God’s perspective.  The more we grow in wisdom in this manner, the more patient we become as we learn to wait with expectation for how God will work out our current situation for a greater good.  When we apply that wisdom to serving, it should give us a greater patience in watching for how God will bring about transformation in our life as well as in the lives of those we serve.  As you pray, ask God to fill you with a wisdom that will produce patience with those you serve.  Pray that you would have a greater practice of patience in your interactions with others as you grow in godly wisdom.

In prayer,

Tom