Short on Patience?
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer…” (Romans 12:12)
Joyful in hope. Check.
Patient in affliction. No.
Faithful in prayer. Check.
I guess two out of three aren’t bad.
This week a nasty upper respiratory infection cramped my style, and tried my patience. I am used to pushing through sickness, but this time I was unable to function in normal activities because of an aggravating cough. As I pop yet another throat lozenge into my mouth, six days later, I am still coughing.
Waiting to turn the corner to good health, I am forced to rest and having to learn patience in affliction, which does not come naturally.
What about you? Does patience come naturally for you?
The Hebrew word for “patience” is “qavah,” which means “to wait for, to look for, to hope, or to expect.”
In my case, I am expecting and looking for healing, and desiring it faster than it is happening. There is that lack of patience again.:)
What are you waiting for right now? What are you looking or hoping for? What do you expect will happen?
The Bible asks us to be patient in more areas than affliction. It asks us to:
1. Be patient with the people in our lives.
Which ones? Everyone. People at work, school, church or the stores you shop at. “And we urge you brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encouraging the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
2. Be especially patient with those we love.
No one knows how to push our buttons more than our family members, but remember, “Love is patient, love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
3. Be patient with God. Even though we don’t see it sometimes, we must trust God is working on our behalf behind the scenes. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7). “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:1-2).
4. Patiently wait for the Lord’s return.
For some of us, he can’t get here soon enough. We don’t know the day or the hour of Jesus’ return, but the signs are all around us. “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:7).
Ecclesiastes 7:8 says, “patience is better than pride.” Matthew Henry’s commentary says that means it is better to be “patient in spirit, than to be proud and hasty.” When we lack patience we should ask the Lord to supply us with it, and should surrender the people or matters we are impatient with, then rest, and wait for God’s help.
When we find ourselves short on patience, we should also remember how patient God is with us. “But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth” (Psalm 86:15). What if God were impatient with us every time we fell away from him, or disappointed him? In my case, I am sure I wouldn’t be writing this blog. I’d be long gone. Today I am grateful for the patience of the Lord, aren’t you? Because he’s patient with me, I will strive to be more patient in affliction. (LBW)