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Patience

You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. — James 5:8

Waiting is something all of us do in life. And while some people like to claim that waiting is a great learning experience, in reality, it feels more like a mental and emotional torture chamber.

If you can’t tell, I dislike waiting. I’ve never been good at it. I’ve always liked to get things done as soon as possible and at a time convenient to my schedule. In my impatience, what I fail to realize is that the fourth fruit of the Spirit is patience (Gal 5:22). Christians are not called to be impatient people. Technically, the more we allow the Spirit to be active in our lives, the more patient we should become.

Over the years, I’ve grasped that life doesn’t revolve around me. Time does not click in parallel to my heart. And what I think, what I’m impatient about, will never be more important than what God already knows. Never in all of history has anyone rushed ahead of God’s plan and experienced an outcome that was better than what God had in store. From time to time it might seem like things turn out well when we plow ahead full-throttle, but whatever reward we find will definitely be empty, shallow, and short-lived in comparison to the thing that God had originally mapped out for us.

Don’t expect anything truly valuable to come out of a speedy process. I’m not saying it can’t happen—but realistically, it won’t. In fact, Scripture promotes this (James 5:7–11).

Life is a waiting room, and patience is key for appreciating the experience. Don’t be in a rush to move forward when God might want you right where you’re standing. Waiting rooms are only temporary. The benefit of patiently following God’s plan for your life is eternal.

Challenge:

Pay attention this week to moments you feel impatience surfacing. Memorize Proverbs 21:5 so when this happens you can recite it and pray for God to give you the blessing of patience.