How often do we wrestle with the word patience?
Patience is something I've been trying to grow in lately, and have been asking God to grow me in patience.
You see, I fasted praying for patience for nearly 5 years. Sounds crazy, right? Well, the truth of the matter is, I had thought if I prayed for patience - God would indeed give me that. As a result, if I had patience, then I would be sentenced to this highly undesirable "waiting period" for anything in life. So, instead I decided to just pray for "God's Will to be done" and pushed aside the idea of praying for patience.
If you think about it, what to patients do? They wait. In a waiting room. Most likely in pain. Waiting. Waiting to meet with a healer. They wait some times at ridiculous lengths of time in a room with other patients to go to another room, where they are alone and waiting. Then a nurse or doctor comes in to assess the situation, gives a diagnosis, maybe a doctor prescribes some medicine and is on their way to the next patient. Why would anyone want to be a patient?
When you examine the word, PATIENCE, in the dictionary, you will find:
1) the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like
2) an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay
3) quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence
How incredibly humbling. In my deepest moments of struggle, the one thing I needed to be praying for - patience - I was deliberately ignoring. I began to pray for patience again in the last few months, and I can without question tell you - God took the sting out of waiting, for anything. I no longer felt like a patient. In my prayer time, I stopped the waiting and met with my Healer, my God. God provided a peace, a "steady perseverance" in my life. In fact, He saturated my life with patience....like a field in drought, He rained on my fields with patience and peace. It was almost as if God cupped me into His hand at that moment and eased my heart, again growing me in His gracious love.
How many hours do you suppose the average human spends "waiting" in their life? Waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store; waiting to get on an airplane; waiting for a phone call; waiting for someone to come home; waiting for dinner to be ready; waiting on the waitress; waiting for their car to be repaired; waiting for someone to be healed or saved; waiting for their ship to come in; waiting at the stop light; waiting for 5 o'clock each workday; waiting for opportunity; waiting for a man/woman; waiting for answers; waiting for a vacation; waiting for a baby to arrive.......just a lot of waiting. We are all patients in some regard, but only we can make ourselves feel like we are waiting for anything. We can meet with our Healer at any time of any day, and ask for His patience.
The word "patience" occurs 17 times in 16 verses throughout the bible, NIV. Here are a handful that spoke to my heart:
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. - Hebrews 6:12, NIV
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. - 1 Timothy 1:16, NIV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, - Galatians 5:22, NIV
...being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully - Colossians 1:11, NIV
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. - Colossians 3:12, NIV
God's Word is so clear, patience - is something we should strive to exude in our daily lives. I thank God for breaking me down, down far enough to bring me to a point where I fell to my knees and began asking Him for patience again.
Do you feel like you are "waiting" on anything? You don't have to, our Healer and our Provider is there all the time for you. Only you can make you feel like you are waiting. Let go of waiting, and live to produce fruit of the spirit - patience - all day, everyday. We have this moment to serve Him, and each moment is precious. Ask the silver medalist in the 100m dash at the Olympics about the value of one second; ask the phone company about the value of one minute; ask the mother in labor about the value of one hour; ask the husband who may lose his wife about the value of one day; and the college student who is on their 5th year about the value of a year.
Our God is such a big God, and we only have to wait on Him, and NOTHING else in this world. He hears your prayers, and I encourage you to seek Him instead of waiting. You can have patience at any time, and the blessing in seeking Him is worth more than we can fathom. God never said it would be easy, but He did say it would be worth it. Patience is yours, just ask Him.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. - Matthew 7:7-8, NIV
You can do this, have patience! I'm praying for you!
<><
Kay
That was my "New Year's Resolution." And boy did God give me patience by putting me through the fire! However, I came out a happier person. Of course, on 59 at 5:30 pm, trying to get to Lindsay's, I want to still want to scream as everyone in the city of Houston seems to want to go the same direction as me. But overall, I am not as stressed and not as irritable as I was before. Thank God!
ReplyDeleteI love Hebrews 6:12. Too many mistake patience for laziness or passiveness. In fact, I think it takes more energy to be patient than it does to make an impulsive decision. You have to be deliberate in patience.
In short...or long...good post ma'am!