Patience, patience

Be patient (James 5:7).

If there is anything that describes modern Americans, it is that we are impatient. We want fast results from medical treatment. We use drivethroughs to avoid spending time looking for a parking place; in fact, most people would rather drive than walk because walking takes too long. Cell phones allow us to instantly reach another person, regardless of distance. And who has time to cook anything from scratch?

But there is a dark side to impatience. How many TV shows that you liked were cancelled after only a couple of weeks because they did not draw a big audience fast enough? How many of you have been aggravated by a little voice in the back seat whining "are we there yet?" How many people put aside money into savings each month, instead of impulsively spending every dime? How many wives and husbands have given up on each other after only a few years or even a couple of months of marriage?

Patience is a virtue. Patience preserves relationships; Solomon wrote: a hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel (Proverbs 15:18). In fact, if God wasn’t patient with us, we would have no chance at having a relationship with Him—Peter writes: He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). If God was the impatient type, He would have given up on you long ago.

So how can we be patient? It starts with love—1st Corinthians 13:4 says that love is patient. If you truly care about another person, you will not be quick to write him or her off. But patience also requires a forgiving heart; Paul advises: be patient, bearing with one another in love. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13). It is important to remember that you are a sinner. When you realize how patient God has had to be with you and all of your foolishness, it becomes easier to be patient with others and to forgive them their mistakes. And being patient has a wonderful payoff—long-lasting relationships which are only made possible by the realization that good things do come to those who are willing to wait.