God’s Patience; Always Being Ready to Start Afresh with God

We live in a world that God originally created to be beautiful, but which today is plagued by physical and moral evil. Among these evils, we also suffer at the hands of people who hurt us. How many wounds and how much suffering are inflicted upon us through betrayals and disappointments! In such circumstances, the natural reaction is anger and a desire for revenge. We would like the person who has wronged us to pay the price in return. Usually, we make plans for revenge. Yet anger is a deadly sin, the cause of other sins. The Book of Ecclesiastes says: ‘Let not your spirit be quick to anger, for anger resides in the hearts of fools’ (Eccl 7:9); and Saint Paul says, ‘Are you angry? Do not sin: do not let the sun go down whilst you are still angry ’ (Eph 4:26). When faced with offences, we must be patient. This means not getting worked up, not acting rashly, not making decisions out of a desire for revenge, but first calming down and praying. Patience is a great virtue. It is a sign of human and spiritual maturity. It is a quality of God. The Bible describes God as slow to anger and full of love

We know that we are sinners and that if God were to punish us according to our sins, we could never draw near to him. Often we even ask Him to overlook our sins. He is therefore patient with us, yet how little patience we show towards others. This is not meant to condone others’ lack of love towards us. But our response must be tempered with patience. St James says: ‘You are wise, my beloved; yet let no one neglect to be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry, for human anger does not bring about the righteousness of God’ (Jas 1:19–20). And Saint Paul: ‘Love is patient’ (1 Cor 13:4). If, during Lent, we could practise patience in many ways, we would surely grow in our love for Jesus! ‘The Lord is patient with you. He does not wish for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Lent is a time that reminds us of God’s patience. “God loved us whilst we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). Some of you may recently have been neglecting your vocation or mission, allowing your love for Jesus to wane, succumbing to spiritual laziness, neglecting your prayer life, lacking zeal for evangelisation, or giving in to anger; sometimes they may even be in a state of very serious sin known only to themselves. So we come to God with remorse. Why, Lord, have I not made more of an effort? Why did I do this? Why have I not kept my promises or my resolutions? However, whilst acknowledging our faults, we must not go to the extreme of paralysing guilt, like Judas, who regretted having betrayed Jesus. He returned the money from his betrayal and hanged himself.

We risk becoming so discouraged by our weaknesses that we become paralysed and unable to move forward. Forgetting that it is better to move forward slowly than not at all. Whatever our unfaithfulness and however wretched our state, let us not lose heart! Discouragement is the work of the devil. We must ignore his suggestions that seek to weaken us, such as: ‘Give it up; you won’t be able to do any more this Lent; you won’t manage it; you know yourself; you won’t last; others can do it but not you; God has chosen them and not you;’ ‘Nobody can really live up to what’s asked of them; you’ve taken on too much; think of yourself a bit!’ That would be falling into a trap. Personally, in my spiritual life, this is one of the things that has often filled me with the most joy. When I feel myself faltering, being unfaithful, and I’m tempted to lose heart, I remember and realise God’s mercy, and instantly my heart is filled with joy and I feel reinvigorated.

God is like the father of the prodigal son in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 15. The father welcomes his repentant son with open arms. For the father, the most important thing was his son’s return. He does not condemn him. ‘I have not come to judge the world, but that whoever believes in me may not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16–18). God does not hold a grudge. He is merciful; it is we ourselves who often refuse to accept His mercy. Because we find it hard to forgive, we tend to project our own image onto God. With God, we learn to live from one new beginning to the next. Always being ready to start afresh with God is a sign of spiritual maturity: we do not take pleasure in staying down; we get back up.

Every Lent is a helping hand extended to us to help us start afresh with God. For, just as He asks us to forgive 70 times 7 times—that is to say, endlessly—He Himself is the first to forgive us in this way. How beautiful Lent is: a time of new beginnings. It is a time of joy: God does not condemn me; He tells me to get back on my feet. He does not want us to remain in idleness and laxity. Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery: ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’! God would like this Lent to be, for you and for me, an opportunity to make further progress. ‘Make every effort to confirm the calling you have received’ (2 Peter 1:10). Lent is also an opportunity to bring order to our lives: to our daily routine, our relationships, our priorities and our commitments. How beautiful Lent is – a time of hope, a time of returning to the Father, a time of joy. Why not go on a retreat to help you start afresh with God?

Henri Bayemi