Let your patience grow

Liam was driving back from work when a man slowly walked through the pedestrian lane at the traffic light.  There were two cars in front of Liam so he could not clearly see what was happening. The traffic light had just turned green – but the man was still crossing the pedestrian lane, meaning Liam and other drivers could not continue driving. Liam was terribly angry. He wanted to get home quickly after a busy day at work.

“What is wrong with this man?!”, he yelled.

Liam quickly turned sideways to see the man who had crossed trying to help an elderly woman who had been struggling to get her wheelchair moving. The wheels appeared to be stuck as she made her way through the pedestrian lane. She was alone and no one else was there to help her.

Liam felt sorry for getting angry with a man that was trying to help a stranger. He thought about what his reaction could have been if he was crossing through the pedestrian lane too.

In a world with people becoming increasingly impatient, hurrying and rushing to get things done, we can find ourselves living in a fast and ever moving lane, not stopping to think of someone else. We can become impatient with others and even with ourselves. But the bible encourages us to pursue patience among other virtues. “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11).

One of the marks of a believer and follower of Jesus Christ is patience. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient (2 Timothy 2:24).

Patience is also a proof that the love of God is at work in our heart as seen in 1 Corinthians 13:4 – “…love is patient…”.

The practice of patience sets us apart from the world. It immediately shows others how different we are, it makes us to stand out.

Through our patience, people might even begin to become interested in our faith. We are encouraged in Ephesians 4:1-2 to live our life in a way that shows how worthy our calling to follow Jesus is, that includes being patient with one another. “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:1-2; see also Colossians 3:12 – 13).

Is the practice of patience easy? No, it is not easy when we rely on our own willpower to be patient. We get to a point when we are “full” of holding back, and we might have an outburst of pent-up feelings of frustration and anger. However, God is willing to help us develop and exercise the virtue of patience. We can then become more like Him – the God of patience (Romans 15:5).

Let us resolve to trust God to help us become more patient than we have been. Let us daily choose to walk in the Spirit of patience as the Holy Spirit works in us, changing and transforming our hearts (1 Thessalonians 5:14; Galatians 5:22 – 26). Let us learn to rest in the Lord and to wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7).

As we wait for Him, let us remember His precious promises and trust in His awesome power to do what He has promised to do. When we do, our patience will grow.