“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” - Colossians 3:12 (NIV). 

Road users in Uganda are likely to witness two constant happening. First, there is that driver who keeps in his queue, quietly moving along with sometimes a painfully slow moving traffic. He bids his time and after a while traffic clears and gets to his destination. Then, there is that ever impatient driver, who has no time to stick to a queue, but keeps crudely jumping others in front, sometimes ending up causing a third or fourth lane, which then blocks the rest of road users and brings all traffic to a standstill.

Now, there are cases where those who jump queues can be excused because of an emergency, just like hospital ambulances. However, there are those for whom this is a habit, and actually they despise those who stay in their lane, as hopelessly slow thinking. It is like others have nowhere to go or have urgent matters to attend to, just them alone! Some people call that being selfish, a vice.

Being patient is one of the virtues that characterize the new life in Christ. Hebrews 6:15 says, “And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.” Abraham waited patiently for God to lead him to the Promised Land. The Psalmist says, “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3). The Apostle James observes, “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” (James 5:7-8).

There are rules that govern our civil conduct and when we observe them we are all at peace. Being considerate of others, is one of those expected of any road user. However, because of the impatience of some, the police has to be deployed to make sure everyone stays in his lane. The person of the world needs someone to caution him to be patient, but for a believer being patient is decidedly one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I rise and pray that you help me be patient in my affairs, as a sign of the working of the Holy Spirit in me, this I pray in Jesus’s name!