Psalm 37:7a
– “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.”
Ever feel a surge of irritation shoot up the back of your neck when
someone says “Be patient”? Sometimes that’s because, in our perception, we are being patient…and we’ve been patient
long enough, doggone it!
But tried and true patience is developed through the hard things in life.
It doesn’t mean that we never get frustrated, that we never lose heart, but it
does mean that we keep turning back to God and relying on Him to work out the
things that we can’t.
Patience is the reflection of one’s assurance that in the midst of
obstacles, timelines, and challenges, God’s purposes are being worked out.
Patience is the fruit of knowing and trusting in the character of God. It’s
being able to see your child’s most hideous behavior and still say, “God sees
what He’s put in this child and is orchestrating a plan for him or her—therefore
I will choose to agree with Him and believe for the work to be completed.”
My mom always used to say, “Patience is a virtue,” before I even knew
what a virtue was. A virtue is a
behavior showing high moral standards, synonymous with “goodness” or
“righteousness.” Mom was correct in that patience is a beneficial standard to exercise. But patience is not simply
“acting good.” Genuine patience is birthed on the inside—it is refined when the
bills are coming due and there’s no money to pay them; it has an opportunity to
shine when teaching someone something that has to be explained over and over because
they’re not “getting it,” it’s believing the best about a person’s heart even
though you may not agree with what they think—it comes from an ongoing
submission to the Holy Spirit, where God’s perfect will becomes more important
than our inconveniences, frustrations, or struggles. It’s where Wisdom, Hope,
and Endurance all meet up.
Patience knows that circumstances do not dictate the success, or even the
cadence, of our lives. Patience is the close-knit cousin of Hope. It says,
“Time is not the important factor; the important thing is that things will get
better—all in God’s time.”
Exercising patience with people doesn’t mean you should let others take advantage of
you or treat you in a disparaging way. It simply means that we are genuinely
open to praying “Lord, how can I exercise patience in this situation?” on a
regular basis. If we can listen to the Holy Spirit’s gentle voice and learn to
have a patient heart in the small things, we will be more fully equipped to abound
in patience when a greater measure is required.
“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,
New Living Translation)
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