Savage2Saint Sobriety May 5, 2025

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. - Romans 15:5 (NLT).

My daughter, Kinley, recently received her driver's permit. If I had to give her a grade on her driving so far, I'd give her an A+: she's kept the car between the ditches, and no one's been hurt. Has there been mistakes along the way? Of course, but nothing that couldn't be undone or wasn't an opportunity for her to learn from. Like all new drivers, she requires a heavy dose of patience and encouragement in order to successfully (and safely) get her on the road by herself. If you're a licensed driver and have been on the road long enough, then you've seen a sign like the one above. When experienced drivers see this sign, they know to slow down and give the new driver space to make mistakes. From sudden stops to unexpected lane changes, the best approach is to do as the sign says: be patient.

New believers learning to walk with Jesus are very similar. They're going to make mistakes, stumble, and have setbacks. We should be giving them the same patience and encouragement that we give new drivers learning to drive. The Apostle Paul instructs the church in Romans 15:5 to live in complete harmony with each other with the same patience and encouragement that we receive from God. This is especially true for new believers. Just like new drivers, they require a little more patience and understanding from the experienced people around them. After all, we already know how hard a complete lifestyle change is.

Learning to walk with Jesus after years of living for the world can be just as scary and intimidating as a 15-year-old learning to drive, regardless of how much life experience you had before Christ. At first, a lot of mistakes are going to be made, but as long as they keep their lives between the ditches, the mistakes they make are opportunities for them to learn from. As followers of Jesus Christ, we should be patient and encourage the new believers in our church congregations. New drivers need extra space; new believers need extra grace. NEW BELIEVER! PLEASE BE PATIENT! God Bless!