A friend stops by requesting assistance with their car, the phone rings with a family member requiring immediate attention to some personal dilemma, the kids are fighting over who hit who first, dinner hasn’t even been started and tomorrow’s blog doesn’t even have the first word on the page….

The situations may be different, but the feelings of anxiety, anger, frustration, irritation and exasperation are the same.  Where is the patience?

I doubt patience would be a virtue if it was easy to do.  DUH!!!

Patience is defined by Google as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

The real bummer about patience is that there is always discomfort in the circumstance AND  with NOT doing what we would REALLY like to do in the said circumstance.  And that is to dig in our heels, scream, lash out, hurt, use profanity or remove the thing (person, problem, pet, etc.) that is distressing us!!!!!

Sigh.

Patience is not what we know…it’s what we are required to learn in order to live a life of peace.

We will never miraculously obtain a plethora of patience to disperse as needed throughout our days (God could do it, but we sure couldn’t).

However, patience is a discipline that we have to develop and work on repeatedly.  And even when we think we are good to go, we’ll probably have to do a little more work!!!

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. Psalms 37:7-9

We are in control of how we deal with the good, bad and ugly in our lives.  Taking responsibility for our actions and emotions is the first step towards living a more patient life.  Some other steps include:

1. Change the attitude.
   1. Put God first.
   2. Put others second.
   3. Be okay with being last. (And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9:35)
   4. Hope and pray. (Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12)
   5. Allow God to strengthen us and DON’T GIVE UP. (And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9)
   6. Let go of anger.  (Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9)
   7. Remember what love is and what it is not. (Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant… 1Corinthians 13:4)

Patience doesn’t happen overnight.  It is a life-long journey that requires us to submit, surrender and place everything about our lives in the Hand of God.

I would dare say that God doesn’t want a bunch of self-righteous, impatient jerks running around His world.  In fact, God wants us to ‘patiently endure evil.’

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil…. 1Timothy 2:24

So, the next time you feel yourself getting worked up and about to explode…STOP…PRAY…LISTEN…BE KIND.  God will take care of the rest!!!

What makes you impatient?

Some Wisdom for Today:  Proverbs 25:15 – With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone.