A Blessed and Happy New Year
![[Photo of a Scripture verse]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/Proverbs_14_29.jpg)
| “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.” |
| —Proverbs 14:29 |
I am not a patient person. In fact, I am noted for my decided lack of patience. One of my dear friends interrupted someone who was proposing a somewhat convoluted solution to a fire protection engineering problem one day with these words, “If you plan to make that proposal to Dean, don’t bother. He would not have the patience. He does not suffer fools or their ideas.”
While that retort seemed humorous at the time, I now feel quite ashamed that for so many years that was the image that I projected. Instead of seeing me as someone who lovingly and patiently showed encouragement toward others, I was—and for many still am—viewed as someone who has very little patience.
However, as followers of Jesus, we do well to seek to have a patient spirit. Notice what King Solomon wrote, as recorded in Proverbs 14:29:
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
Oops! A quick-tempered person displays folly! That’s not good—that’s not good at all. There is definitely a better way. And, it is the way of patience.
As we begin another new day, let’s ask God to gently and tenderly guide our spirits so that we learn how to wait patiently on Him and on others. We will do a much better job of representing God, whose patience seemingly knows no measure, if we learn how to manifest a patient spirit.
