What Did People Bring Out of You? [Saturday Edition #20]
Reflect & Realign
Scripture
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2.
Devotional
Work would often be much easier if it didn't involve people.
People interrupt our plans. They misunderstand instructions. They make mistakes. They communicate differently than we do. They fail to meet expectations, disagree with our decisions, and sometimes simply get on our nerves.
Yet people are not interruptions to our Christian calling. They are often where that calling is most clearly lived out.
As you reflect on this past week, think about the people who tested your patience.
Perhaps a coworker frustrated you. A customer or client was unusually demanding. Someone failed to follow through on a commitment. A supervisor placed unexpected demands on you. Or maybe you found yourself becoming impatient simply because someone worked, thought, or communicated differently than you.
Those moments reveal something important about our hearts.
Patience is easy when everyone behaves as we prefer. Christlike patience appears when they don't.
Scripture connects patience with humility, gentleness, and love because patience requires us to make room for the weaknesses and limitations of others. We remember that we, too, require grace. God has been extraordinarily patient with us, and His patience becomes the model for how we treat those around us.
That doesn't mean ignoring poor performance, avoiding necessary accountability, or refusing to address problems. Sometimes love requires difficult conversations. But even correction can be offered with patience, dignity, and respect.
Today, allow God to show you what your interactions this week revealed. Where you responded well, thank Him for the evidence of His Spirit at work within you. Where impatience took over, receive His grace and allow Him to continue transforming your heart.
The difficult people in your life may be some of God's most effective instruments for making you more like Christ.
Reflection Questions
Who tested my patience most this week, and why?
What did my response reveal about my heart?
Did I treat difficult people with the dignity and grace I would want extended to me?
Where is God asking me to become more patient with someone?
Action Step
Think of one person who tested your patience this week. Instead of focusing on what frustrated you, pray specifically for that person. Ask God to help you see them through His eyes and show you how to respond with greater patience and grace the next time you interact.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the patience and grace You continually extend to me. Forgive me for the times I have been impatient, harsh, or easily frustrated with others. Help me remember that every person I encounter is someone You created and love. Give me wisdom when correction is necessary, gentleness in how I communicate, and patience when people do not meet my expectations. Use my relationships to make me increasingly like Christ. Amen.
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This devotional is designed to encourage you as you live out your faith in the workplace. It works best when paired with regular time in Scripture, prayer, and worship—the rhythms through which we grow to know Christ more deeply and become more like Him.
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