Give grace by giving space.

 As Cristian business professional I saw a bumper sticker that said, “Please Be Patient,” and the entire back end of the car was crushed from being rear-ended. I laughed at first, but then God began to speak to me.

Galatians 6:1 tells us to restore one another in a spirit of meekness. Restoration requires patience, and patience requires space

The accident happened because somebody was following too close.

Isn’t that how life is sometimes?

People get hurt when others won’t give them space.

We crowd people with our opinions.

We crowd people with our expectations.

We crowd people with our demands.

We crowd people with our judgments.

Then when they crash, we wonder what happened.

The grace of patience is often expressed by giving people space.

Space to heal.

Space to grow.

Space to process.

Space to hear God.

Space to learn from their mistakes.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is stop riding someone’s bumper.

Not every problem needs your immediate correction.

Not every mistake needs your immediate commentary.

Not every situation needs your immediate involvement.

Some people are carrying enough pressure already.

Give grace by giving space.

The reason that car had damage was because someone was too close. The reason many relationships have damage is because someone refused to respect boundaries, timing, and process.

Grace says, “I’ll pray for you.”

Control says, “I’ll pressure you.”

Patience says, “I’ll give you room.”

Impatience says, “I’ll get right on your bumper.”

Today, ask yourself: Am I helping people heal, or am I following so close that I’m contributing to the crash