PATIENCE…And where can I get some?

“Never ask God for patience, or else He will give it to you.”

Everyone I’ve spoken to about patience

Characterized by the ability to face trying, hard, or annoying experiences without getting angry, upset, or lashing out, patience may be one of the Biblical traits humans struggle with the most.  Today, there are a bunch of things meant to test our threshold – traffic, nosy neighbors, 24-hr news, our jobs, and more. 

God calls His people to be more like Jesus, who demonstrated great patience during His earthly ministry. Jesus had 12 folks following Him on a regular basis and I am certain one or more of them annoyed and tried His patience. In fact, in one Biblical story, Jesus asked a few of His posse to join Him as He stepped away to pray.  When He returned, His entire crew had fallen asleep.  In Matthew 26:40 (NIV) Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.”  Jesus couldn’t even rely on His faithful friends/disciples to have his back. Because of the political and religious climate of the times, it was necessary to travel in pairs or with groups of people to ensure safety and protection from the public. Most importantly, the proximity of time between Gethsemane and His act of love on the Cross, was drawing near. Instead, Jesus Christ shook His head in disappointment to find His nearest and dearest letting Him down. That is enough to test one’s patience. The blessing in this situation is that His followers did not receive His wrath but His grace.

By following Christ’s example and understanding stories of patience in Scripture, we can grow to exemplify and live a life with patience, even if it is a struggle. It is a struggle for me. Patience should be one of those items near the check-out line you can pick up as easily as you would a pack of gum. Patience out to be something I can bottle up for the next time – like an energy drink. Patience could be as fluid as running water if we strive to follow in the ways of Christ. It must be an act of your own will to desire to be as close to loving and gentle as Christ is to us.

Personally, one of the ways I have watched God teach me patience is to temper my frustrations and outbursts in the very moments of battle.  When I was younger, I would blow off immediately at a car cutting me off or some careless act from an employee. I would lean on the car horn or call that colleague out in the middle of the hallway and tear him or her a new one.  But since practicing patience with intentionality, just as I step forward to be sweet in my firmness, God makes up the rest by reminding me of those moments when He has been most patient with me. God is great at not reminding me of moments I have let Him down, but He does bring to my remembrance all the times He supported me and had my back. In those moments when I am most ready to be impatient, God instantaneously calms my spirit. There was one occasion, I started coughing uncontrollably just as I was ready to go off on someone.  God will allow you to “choke on your words and attitudes” before you get a chance to hurt someone with your venom.

Ultimately, building patience requires prayer and the Holy Spirit.

Bethany Verrett

What Does the Bible Say about Patience?

Random acts of violence, foolish and rash decisions, and unhealthy cycles contribute to silly accidents at best, and the ruination of lives and relationships at worst. Many sins and mistakes come from a lack of patience, which is, “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.”

How long does it take for someone to lose their temper, storm off, or get exasperated? Being able to accept or tolerate problems allows people to work through issues, facilitate compromise, and prevents inappropriate behavior.

Some people say, “patience is a virtue.” This does not come from the Bible. The Bible calls patience a fruit of the Spirit; a gift. A gift God bestows on you. A gift with which you bless another. The Apostle Paul wrote, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). It is easier to be gentle with others when full of patience. Self-control can also be related to patience, as an abundance of patience can help someone not over-react to others or to annoying situations.

• 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.”
• Psalm 37:7-9 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.”
• Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
• Proverbs 16:32 “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”                                      
• Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.”
• Romans 5:4 “And endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”            
• 1 Thessalonians 5:14 “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”
• 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
• James 1:19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”
• Hebrews 6:12 “So that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

How Can We Grow in Biblical Patience?

Growing in patience is never easy. If it was, everyone would be kinder and gentler with everyone else. To grow in this fruit of the spirit, it often means being in a situation that requires it. A good way to tell if an action is driven by patience or impatience is if there is an opportunity to do something in one’s own power, or if there is an opportunity to wait on God to act. Can I lash out on this person now, or rely on the Spirit for a calm mind? Can I make something happen today or is God inviting me to wait for Him to act?

Relying on God’s timing is always the patient decision. Relying on the Lord means letting Him work in His way and His time. His timing is different than ours, “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18).

While that may feel like a big challenge, it is important to remember that God is patient with all of us – the Believer and the sinner; “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). If God extends this patience to humanity, and Believers are called to be like Him, He will teach those who ask how to be like Him.

The next step is yours.

…now what, Linda