By Tanya Jolliffe RDN, LD, CMHIMP
Perhaps you have heard the saying, “patience is a virtue.” The saying reportedly comes from the poem called “Piers Plowman” written by William Langland back in the 14th century. Maybe it was a lot easier to have patience back then without all the modern conveniences that make our lives so “easy” today. While I have seen growth in my ability to “be patient,” this virtue or state of moral excellence continues to elude me.
The dictionary defines patience as, “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” I seem to have the ability to accept and tolerate delay, trouble, or difficulty. It is that “without getting angry or upset,” that always seems to trip me up. Similar words for patience include forbearance, tolerance, and restraint.
The Bible has a great deal to say about patience, because being patient helps us become better servants, especially to God but also to others. God desires us to learn how to show restraint and persevere through trials and temptations. Scripture gives us many applications for patience and outlines the benefits to our spiritual well-being. Here are just a few:
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 NIV).
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word, I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning” (Psalm 130:5-7 NIV).
“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:25 NIV).
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12 NIV).
“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:36 NIV).
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
“As you now, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:11 NIV).
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV).
We all need to routinely choose the fruit of patience to improve our physical and emotional health and well-being. We also must develop the virtue of waiting on the Lord’s perfect timing for his good and perfect gifts.
Sadly, many times this is when my patience is the least virtuous. It is in these times I must draw myself back to God’s promises and remember that just as he cares for the sparrow, his eye is watching me, and he will provide WHAT I need, WHEN He knows I truly need it instead of when I want it.
Listening to the song “Take Courage” by Kristene DiMarco helps me a great deal when I am feeling impatient. The words remind me that God is in the waiting, has a plan, and his plans never fail. Meditating on these words helps me refocus and find my patience to accept or tolerate whatever I am facing without getting angry or upset.
Are you at all like me? If so, join me in prayer today to ask God to lead us not into temptation but to deliver us from evil and to provide His mercy and grace to stand in the gap for our impatience. If you find you have many areas of your life where you are facing impatience, consider reviewing your lifestyle wellness to see where you might need to make some lifestyle adjustments. Once you do, you may find the virtue of patience is only a few steps away.
