Developing Patience

Patience is one of the character traits people don’t seem to have much of these days. However, it is one of the fruits of the spirit God wants us to possess.

PATIENCE – A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

If you don’t learn to wait….

We’re living in a microwave society where everything is instant, so we don’t have to wait too long for anything. In some instances, that’s a good thing. However, patience is one of the fruits of the spirit that God wants us to possess. I always say, “If you don’t learn to wait, God will make sure that you have to.” This is because the only way to teach you, is to make you repeat the exercise until you master it. That is how your character is developed.

Patience is defined as the ability to endure difficult circumstances in the face of delay; tolerance of being provoked without responding in annoyance/anger; forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties or the level of endurance one can have before negativity. I would add that patience is also a sign of maturity because it takes a certain level of reasoning and self-control to be patient.

So, if you are struggling with patience and you don’t want to bear constantly being tested, try to find something else to focus on while you wait or change your perspective whenever you encounter the exercise. For instance, when I’m stuck in traffic, I generally like to think that God could be protecting me from an accident or I use the extra time to pray about my day, something I might be anxious about or pray for my family before reaching my destination.

If you focus on the things that are important, the things that are not will become insignificant. What could you do or focus on the next time you have to wait?

Here are a few prayers in my book A Journey to Freedom Through Prayer that can help address patience - Sustain Me (pg. 77), Self-Control (pg. 83) and Waiting in Faith (pg. 99). Available on Amazon.com ($4.99), BarnesandNoble.com, westbowpress.com, and iTunes.com.