Remain Patient

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. -James 1:2-4 NIV

For years, I thought being patient simply meant to wait. But the Lord showed me that patience is more than the ability to wait—it includes our attitude and behavior while we wait. Waiting in life is not an option. Everyone waits. We wait on people to do the things we need them to do. We wait in the grocery store line. We wait at the doctor’s office. When we’re sick, we wait to get well. We wait in traffic. And we wait for God to deliver us from life’s trials and tests.

I believe many people give up on God because He doesn’t respond as quickly as they would like or in the way they prefer. I used to be extremely impatient and get frustrated when the Lord didn’t do things the way I thought He should. But it’s so important to realize that God is always with us, He is always working on our behalf (even when we can’t see it), and He has perfect timing for everything He does. Patience allows us to be stable and steady while we’re waiting to see the results.

Many years ago, I read that patience is a fruit of the Spirit that only grows under trial, and I have never forgotten it. Ouch! I wish I could get patience some other way, and you probably do, too. To be patient means to be long-suffering with mildness, gentleness, moderation and constancy. God wants us to be constant, meaning to be the same in difficult times as we are in good times, even if we are going through suffering.

In Luke 21:19, Jesus says, “By your patience possess your souls” (NKJV). If you don’t possess your soul (your mind, will and emotions), it will possess you. Your mind will rule you, your emotions will rule you, and your own will (power to choose) will end up controlling you instead of your using it to control yourself. We are to be spiritual and to let the Holy Spirit lead us, not allowing our mind, will and emotions to dictate our lives.

We can be “blessed in the mess” if we do things God’s way—the way He says to do things in His Word. And patience is God’s way. Impatience causes stress, and stress causes sickness. A person who does not wait well will eventually see the results in their physical body. I have learned to choose not to let every inconvenience stress me out. If we allow ourselves to get worked up over everything we don’t like, the stress will become too much and eventually harm our health.

Impatient people rush and hurry all the time, even when they aren’t going anywhere specific (this was me). However, a patient person is a powerful person. The Bible says that it’s better to be a patient person with self-control than a warrior who can take an entire city in battle (see Proverbs 16:32).

Think of it this way: Each moment we have is truly a gift from God, and not to enjoy it is tragic. The moments we miss often hold miracles we miss—perhaps the miracle of a flower in full bloom, or the miracle of hearing what God is trying to say to us, or the miracle of changing a life through showing kindness. We miss moments like these because we are in too much of a hurry to even notice them.

Most of life is ordinary. And during our ordinary days, messy things happen sometimes. When they do, we can exercise patience with the messes by letting the world do whatever it will while we remain stable and happy. Patient people are thankful for the good things in their life, and they trust God to work everything out for their good.

Adapted from the book Blessed in the Mess by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2023 by Joyce Meyer. Published by Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Prayer: “God, please show me the areas of my life where I can grow in patience and help me to endure through times where I don’t feel like waiting. You help us make progress even through difficult times, so help me to learn how to be patient during moments or seasons of life that aren’t comfortable. Develop a new stability inside of me that will allow me to enjoy Your peace in any circumstance. Thank You for Your faithfulness! In Jesus’ name, amen."