https://odb.org/2026/09/15/be-patient
Ephesians 4:1–6 (NIV): 4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Oguni’s creative genius led to what is known as the Restaurant of Mistaken Orders, an actual restaurant with this added twist—all the wait staff struggle with memory loss. Now, from the usual business perspective, the results were poor—thirty-seven percent of the time, the guests did not receive what they ordered. But those guests also expect such problems, so they understand. After these “surprises,” apologies and hearty laughter ensue, and customers leave happy. Paul writes, “Be patient” (Ephesians 4:2)—and we all know that’s so much easier said than done because it involves bearing with each other, a word that can mean everything from “carrying” to “enduring” to “supporting.” In other words, effort is involved. Yet if the effort has its source in God’s love as opposed to our own strength, the burden is lightened and leads to a lighthearted way of living, full of surprises and apologies and even laughter. (John Blase, Our Daily Bread 15th September 2026)
Patience is one of the more difficult virtues to attain as we live in a world where we expect people to understand and do things quickly. Perhaps in the smaller towns, the pace is more leisurely and laid back, but in the big city things move fast. That’s part of city living I guess.
I take the train to work and I see that every day – people tend to walk fast to catch the train. That is why besides an increase in daily steps, taking the train is good exercise as practically no one walks leisurely. If you’ve been to Hong Kong or worked with people there, you will see that they walk amd work very fast, almost frantic in their pace. As a result, they also think very fast.
Unfortunately, in the world, increasingly people suffer from dementia or related illnesses leading to slower responses and forgetfulness and mistakes. So imagine ordering cafe latte and chicken sandwiches to get americano and chicken chop! Unless we are understanding and patient, that is unacceptable except at the Restaurant of Mistaken Orders! Then it becomes a comedy of errors, a fun-filled time anticipating what we will get but driven by abundant patience and understanding.
In the church or at work, we encounter all sorts of people at different levels of competence, urgency and outward appearance (though friendly, some may harbour evil intentions!). Not suffering from dementia but likely with a different take towards life and work. Especially in church, we need to be patient and enduring. For example, after countless times of reminding people that the service starts at 9.30 am, there are still people trotting in at 9.45 am and we know that for most families, getting everyone ready and into the car could well be a chaotic and messy shouting affair! The irony of it all is that the farther you stay, the earlier you will usually arrive in church!
Life encounters us with a variety of characters, even scheming evil manipulators. We need patience and endurance to deal with these people, more so in the context of the church. Our role in church is to build up and encourage, not to tear down and destroy. We are to stabilise and put lives into a steady and strong footing in the faith, so they may grow spiritually and in their knowledge of Jesus Christ and fulfil God’s calling for their lives. Most importantly, we are to guide them to continually be on the narrow path of righteousness that leads to eternal life. Much patience and endurance on our part is sometimes needed and it works best if fueled and powered by God’s love, power and strength. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will surely be able to endure and be patient with one another! Amen!
Ronnie's Thoughts 