Patience

by Bud Lambert

Patience, the ability to wait, manifests itself as self-restraint and endurance. Those who lack patience are generally impulsive individuals who tend to be quitters, perfectionist, give up easily, and have difficulty finding contentment in life. With the help of God, Christians can learn to be patient! There are at least two avenues through which God can help us develop patience.
One avenue is to allow God to reign in our hearts. God reigns in our hearts when we choose to fIll our minds with his truths found in Scripture and to obey them ( 1 John 4:12-15; 5:13). When we allow God to dwell in our hearts, we are allowing God's love (agape) to dwell in our hearts, for God is love ( 1 John 4:7-21). When God's love fills our hearts abundantly, we love - display all the characteristics of God's love ( I John 4:19; Matthew 12:34, 35; Luke 6:45). Patience is one characteristic of God's love ( 1 Corinthians 13:4). Thus, God can help us grow to be more patient if we will take the time to study our Bibles and apply God's truths to our lives.
Another avenue is by God allowing us to face hard times in life. God determines the trials which Christians face in life, and he only allows those trials that we can deal with and that make us better, more useful servants in the kingdom ( 1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:28; Hebrews 12:5-13). Being more patient is one good thing that comes from the trials God allows us to face. James says, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" ( James 1 :2,3; cf. Romans 5:3). In every trying situation we face as Christians, we can know God has a purpose in it. And one of those purposes is to help us develop more patience, "so that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" ( James 1:4).
Exercise:
1. Today think of one area of your life where more patience is needed.
2. Pray that God will give you more patience in that area of your life.
3. Count and record the number of trying situations God provides for you to practice and develop patience in that area of your life.
4. Tonight thank God for all the trials you faced during the day ( I Thessalonians 5:17,18).

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