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The Gift of Patience
When a lender and a borrower enter into an agreement to delay the foreclosure process, that agreement is called a forbearance. It basically means that the lender agrees to “hold back,” or be patient with the borrower until he or she can catch up on payments. When the Word became Flesh, he brought forgiveness and reconciliation and called on the recipients of his mercy to do the same for others. As followers of Jesus, we are called to practice this kind of patience and forbearance in our relationships.
This is not easy to do in a world that encourages us to give people their “just desserts.” To do otherwise is seen in the eyes of the world as weakness. To be truthful, it is not in our nature to do otherwise. The ability to love others in spite of their glaring weaknesses is a strength that comes to us from God; it certainly doesn’t come from ourselves. Love is easy when it is being shown to those who love us. Forbearance enables us to show love to those who have wronged us.
—Joe Paprocki, based on Under the Influence of Jesus
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