Photo Credit: Chris Preen
Creative Commons

Significance of God’s Patience in Mission

In this Instagram, global-connection, 24-hour-news-cycle world, many Christians are secretly disillusioned and wonder as to why God does not just seem to effect change quickly and “zap the world” with the snap of finger. However, God just seems to have a different idea in mind. Why? The answer is in the heart of God, and the character of God as reflected in 2 Peter 3:9. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

In this scripture, Peter provides the heart-beat of God. It is clear that God desires everyone must have an opportunity to hear the life-saving message of salvation in Jesus Christ and turn to the Father. Therefore, this “delay” in Christ’s return to judge and reign should not be counted “slowness” or “laxness” on the part of God, but His patience.

Somehow, “long-term” or “patience” have taken on almost the same negative connotation as “ineffective” for many Christians when discussing mission-related topics. Most of us forget that Christendom has been 2015 years in the making if we only narrowly focus on early Christianity in the Greek/Roman world and beyond as a 1st-century Jewish sect.

This is 2015 years of empires, ideologies, technologies, triumphs, degradation, revivals, wars and more. Yet throughout it all, God has been long-suffering and patient with us.

Fortunately, the work of Firstlight International is not a “flashy, crash and burn” effort. From the design of programs such as Families Without Fathers (FWF), language literacy, micro-business initiatives, effective church planting, cross-culture church leadership development, all reflect the patient and long-suffering nature of God. We hold God’s love and patience in our heart for various communities we serve, “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.“

~ YC Chen