Ecclesiastes 7:8
“The end of a matter is better than its beginning; a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.”
Most people struggle with patience. We want things done immediately and if something takes time to complete, we get impatient. God wants us to develop the patience to see it through.
Easy to Start
Solomon hits on the age-old adage of finish what you start. Most of us have lots of projects that we started, with good intentions, but never finish them. That’s because we have all the energy and motivation at the beginning. We want the end result, but we don’t have the discipline to see it through. Having the patience to finish is what gets you to the end.
Pride Blinds Us
Patience and pride are enemies. Pride sometimes makes us boast of our accomplishments and be more concerned about how others see us other than who we actually are. Worst of all, pride leads us to think we are better than others. It also prevents us from finishing because we are too proud to ask for help.
Patience to See it Through
Patience, on the other hand, isn’t concerned with what others think or rushing through tasks to impress others with what you have accomplished. Patience sees projects through because it gets the satisfaction of doing things right. Most of all, patience gives us the time to see from every angle and determine the best course of action.
We can get caught in the trap of pride in our daily walk with Jesus. When we are more concerned with how we are perceived than what the reality is it shows that pride has become a stumbling block. Patience knows that our sanctification takes time and that we don’t have it all together. We know that one day we will be complete in Christ, but until then we live under His grace.
