One of the
hardest times to sit still and be quiet is in a waiting room. For a child this
is no easy task. Parents will tell their children to sit still and be patient.
From this, many believe that patience is the ability to wait without complaint.
However, patience is more than that. It is the determined purpose to keep
moving forward regardless of the adversity one is facing.
Patience as
spoken of in the Bible is synonymous with perseverance. Throughout the
Christian life, one is to remain steadfast in the Lord. Jesus said, “…Be
faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation
2:10b). No one can accomplish this without patience. So, the question is, “How
do we grow in patience?” Let us, therefore, consider the following.
We Grow
through Trials. When we are faced with adversity, it is like hitting our
head against the proverbial brick wall. We will often feel like we are stuck in
a bad place and there is simply no way out. These trials will have one of two
effects upon a person. It will either cause one to turn his back on his
Creator, or it will cause him to cling closer to Him in simple trusting prayer.
We must bear in
mind that looking to our Sovereign loving God during these times, will renew
our faith and provide for us a steadfast hope within our hearts that no one can
ever take from us. The more we look to our God in times of struggle, the more
our faith in Him will grow. The more faith we have, the more steadfast our
spirit will become. While this is never easy, the results are certainly worth
it.
We Grow
through Prayer. We have heard the wrongful expression, “When all else
fails, pray”. This is such a sad perspective on life. If we could remember to
put prayer first as it ought to be, we would find the strength and comfort we
need during these difficult times.
In fact, God
wants to hear from us. Jesus taught us about the great love of our Heavenly
Father. He stated, “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for
bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a
serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who
ask Him!” (Matthew 7:9-11)
Learning
patience is not easy. We often will go through some difficult times as we
acquire patience. The objective is not to become discouraged by the various
trials we go through, but rather to focus continually on our Almighty Creator
who loves us and always carries us through!
God Bless Each of You,
Eric Hicks
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