Patience Makes Perfect!

Today’s Verse:

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ~2 Corinthians 3:17

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Are you a patient person? Are you someone that has to be told, “Hold your horses”? All of us are born with a very low amount of patience. We are not patient when it comes to lines, traffic, getting our food at a restaurant, and, mostly, other people. We tend to rush, become irritable, and get very annoyed because of our lack of patience. However, patience is a spiritual virtue that God places into our life, whether we like it or not.

We see the disruption.

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” God sends trial and tribulation into our life to teach us patience. This includes illnesses, setbacks, rejection, financial loss, loss of employment, the passing of a loved one, and conflicts. These are unanticipated disruptions. We did not plan for them. These are unusual disruptions. They hit us hard and occupy our thoughts. These are unwanted disruptions. We want them to go away fast. Trials and troubles are God’s gifts that He uses to do the work of patience in our life. No event in our life is ever a surprise to God. See every setback and trial as a divine disruption for our benefit.

We see the delay.

One of the most difficult aspects of a trial or tribulation is waiting. We cannot rush God or the process. Things purposely move slow. The more stressed out we are, the more urgent we want the trial to go away. We have to wait for answers. We have to wait to get well. We have to wait for the right person to respond. We have to deal with multiple delays. The delays make us climb a wall! The delays make us more anxious.

We see the duration.

Trials are open-ended in terms of time. We do not know when they will end. A trial can last weeks, months, and even years. David’s trial involving King Saul lasted several years. Job’s trial lasted several months and, possibly, years. He could not control the duration of his trial. During his trial, he experienced insurmountable losses. He came under heavy criticism, as if he was the reason for the trials. Minutes felt like days, days felt like months, and months felt like years. The duration of a trial and our response to it determines how long God will keep us in it.

We see the discipline.

Patience must have her perfect work. Paul said, “Patience [worketh] experience.” Patience is a virtue of grace that is required in the Christian life. We must be patient and live out our Christian life in anticipation of the Lord’s coming. We must be patient with ourselves and with others. Patience is keeping our opinions to ourselves. Patience is yielding the right of way to other people who are going in the opposite direction from us. Patience is developed in us through fiery trials. It is a spiritual discipline that is developed by making us uncomfortable, desperate, and humble. If we do right, our praying improves when we go through a trial. The discipline of a trial helps us identify areas in our life where we must die to self and live for God.

Let patience have her perfect work. Yes, patience makes perfect in making us spiritually fit for God’s use.

Have a patient God Morning!

Bible Reading Schedule: Psalm 140-145

#James #Patience