Learning to Be Patient

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; Psalm 37:7a

We live in “microwave Society.” We like our noodles in two minutes, our popcorn in a minute, Pizza delivered in fifteen minutes, our pictures posted instantly on social media. The world is all about instant gratification. We have no time to waste. We are either multitasking or rushing to our next project. We are all victim to this, and thus, the PATIENCE does not come naturally to us. We have become an impatient society increasingly. We want everything NOW and if I can’t get it right now, HOW FAST can I have it. You are programmed to think “waiting is wasting.” Be proactive. If you want to get ahead, you have to make it happen. Unfortunately, we apply this same mindset to our spiritual walk. We pray to God, give me patience, and give it to me NOW.
In my opinion, learning to be patient is one of the hardest things for a Christian. God tells us to be STILL. Scripture tells us to wait upon the Lord. This is so contrary to our nature, but we must learn patience.
Why do we struggle with patience? At the heart of the matter is, control. We are hardwired to control the narrative. We, as human beings, like to be in control of all aspects of our lives. And whenever you are in a situation where you find yourself at the mercy of someone else or something else, you start to get irritated, agitated, annoyed, which leads to irrational behavior from you. Impatience is a direct result of a lack of control.
On the other hand, there is a correlation between patience and faith. All of us want to grow in faith, and God teaches us how to be faithful by waiting. As you pray to God to change a particular situation, he may not change that for years. His answer to your prayer might be ”NOT YET,” and to live the victorious faithful Christian life, we must learn to wait for God’s timing. In the book of Joshua, Israelites are at the bank of the Jordon river and promised land is on the other side. For forty years, they are wandering in the wilderness, Put yourself in their sandals, how eager would you be to cross over? But, God said to wait for three days ( Joshua 3). The ark of the covenant had to go before them directing them. You see, it is during the time of waiting, God not only prepares you, but he is also going ahead to make the path. If you recall, when the two spies spoke to Rehab the prostitute, she said, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. You see, while Istalites were moving toward Jericho, God was working on the enemies, and as news traveled, they were fearful of Israelites. You might be in a rush to get married, and you definitely want to control that narrative but if you are praying, Not only God is preparing you to be the husband/ wife you need to be, but He is also working on the other person to be the husband/wife they need to be for you. We can rely on promises of God, and He is faithful, but He does not tell us “when,” ” Where,” “How,” He tells us to be still and wait upon Him. In other words, be patient because I am teaching you to trust me. Abraham was promised a son, and his impatience brought Ismael into the world. Esau sold his birthright. Saul offered a sacrifice and lost his kingdom. In the new testament, the parable of the prodigal son wanted his inheritance NOW and met hardship.
Meanwhile, look at the examples of Job. Noah built the ark patiently. Joseph waited for God to deliver him. David was anointed the king, but he waited for Lord to work everything out even when he had an opportunity to kill Saul. And, of course, Abraham learned to trust God and at the age of hundred became a father.
Patience is one of the attributes of the fruit of the spirit. As you walk in faith and continue to feed your spirit, you will find your patience will grow. It is fruit; therefore, you as a tree must be planted in the soil of spirit continually denying the flesh, and as you hand over the control of your life to God, You will see the fruit: patience.

I will be honest; I struggle with patience. But, in the last few years, God has taught me. You see, I have a long drive to bible study I go to, and the traffic is horrible most of the days. In the beginning, I would be so agitated and stressed out as soon as I show all the brake lights on the road. My mind would be all over trying to figure out a way to get there on time, and of course, many times, I thought, let’s stop going. But, looking back, God was teaching me patience. Traffic is still bad, but now, instead of getting irritated and stressing about being late, I sit and meditate on the word trusting God to get me there. Traffic is out of my control, and there is nothing I can do about it, all I can control is my reaction to it. What is God using to teach you patience? Your kids? Spouse? Boss? Job? Sickness? Financial trouble? Maybe you are in a rush to cross over to Jordan, but God wants you to wait so He can go ahead of you and make your path straight. None of us want to go ahead of God. Don’t look at waiting as inaction, patience is also a form of action.
Most importantly, God is patient with us. Let us be patient with others, especially those who have yet to repent and come to Jesus. We are so used to instant satisfaction, but in God’s economy, we must learn to wait on Him. His timing is always perfect. Remember, no matter how impossible the situation, Trust Him, and He will see you through. In our Christian living, others must recognize the fruit of patience in your life. Amen