Patience: It’s More Than a Virtue
Are you feeling stuck waiting on an answer from the Lord? Do you feel like this season will never pass?
I completely understand and empathize with you because I have been and continue to go through seasons of waiting where my patience is tested. My grandmother used to gently remind me that, ‘Patience is a virtue.’ I would look at her puzzled and just nod my head hoping I wouldn’t get another lecture on how impatient I was behaving. Over the years I have been known to have zero patience so let’s just say I heard my grandmother's catch phrase almost daily!
Honestly, I just assumed I was a go-getter who knew what I wanted and went after it…even if that meant I would be bulldozing over friends and others. My ‘go-getter’ attitude can also be seen as a lack of patience because of how I would approach situations. However, over time I have had to learn through lessons, hard lessons at times, that patience is something I would need to grow into.
I’m going to spare you all the nitty gritty details of my lack of patience and some of the precarious situations I’ve been through because I want to focus on 3 ways you can be patient and wait on God’s timing.
Are you ready to have your mind blown?! Ok, I’m just revving the engine a bit but seriously these 3 ways will help change you and your heart.
1. Pray…and pray a lot!
Prayer whether you have the words to say or are in complete reverence before that Lord has and will continue to bring peace into your life. Throughout the Bible we read of women praying and receiving their answer. Now, their answer may have taken years to come to fruition but nonetheless the Lord delivered to them a far greater result than they could have ever dreamed.
Psalm 40:1 (NKJV) ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry.’
2. Read your Bible…daily!
I get it, reading the Bible is hard. Where to start? What will help me with what I’m dealing with? I don’t have time… It’s confusing…and on and on I can go. But sis, open the word! I’m a huge fan of the Psalms and love popping in there. 1 Corinthians is another great book to start in but if that still is overwhelming I recommend getting the Bible App and joining the following plan: Faith and Patience. The plan is 5 days and you can even set reminders to help keep you on track!
Acts 17:11 (NIV) ‘Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.’
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3. Surrender your timeline.
Yes sis, this is probably the hardest of the 3 ways to change your heart toward a more patient lifestyle in Christ. Surrendering always sounds so final, sounds so defeatist but when you break it down it is just shifting your energy. Why fight the most High King on an amazing outcome? Why argue and battle our Lord and Savior over His master plan? When we surrender our timeline we open ourselves up to find a greater purpose we may have missed trying to do in our own power!
Psalm 37:7a (NIV) ‘Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways…’
Now that you have 3 proven ways to change your heart and mind to a more patient and rooted daughter in Christ I want you to do me a favor…
Take a deep breath and know that you can persevere through whatever you are facing, sis.