Do you lack patience at times?
Do deadlines, traffic, family members, coworkers, and those annoying people that you can’t get away from tax your patience?
Learn from the Holy Scriptures and the example of a small plant how to find patience in an impatient world.
Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls
Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Pride can frustrate you while patience can deliver you into a better end.
- Eccl 7:8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one. 9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
- Zech 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth
Take your time answering
- Proverbs 18:13 He who answers a matter before he hears it— this is folly and disgrace to him.
- John 7:51 "Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to determine what he has done?"
- Proverbs 20:25 It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly, only later to reconsider his vows.
Patience requires looking ahead to the end, rather than jumping to conclusions based on the beginning
Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay. We must understand this principle
Heb 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
We must understand this principle “Faith must exist in two places for it to truly become productive.”
- Rom 10: 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
- 2 Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
- Hebrews 11:1, NIV: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Patience allows us to wait for the proper season
Jam 5:7-8 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
The farmer is a good example of patience. The farmer plants the seed with the hope that the plant will grow and bear fruit.
Patience is tied to love, joy, peace, and faithfulness
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Clothe yourself in patience. Wrap patience around you. Claim patience as yours, because you were chosen. God will give patience because He loves you and knows you need patience.
Col 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Patience requires hope. To have the patience of Job you must have hope.
- Job 6:11 "What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?
- Romans 4:18-22 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise...
Faithful pray can help maintain that hope in affliction.
Rom 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Patience is required for true love. How many of you loved someone and had your patience tested?
1 Cr 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
Note patient was the first thing mentioned when describing love.
Patience requires understanding and wisdom.
- Pro 14:29 A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
- Pro 19:11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
Patience can be a powerful tool to persuade.
Pro 25:15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
God shows us patience as an example.
- Jam 5:10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
- 1 Ti 1:16 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.
Teach one another with patience.
2 Ti 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.
Patience allows us to inherit God’s promises and salvation.
- Hbr 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
- 2 Pe 3:15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
