I give praise to You, My Lord, for in the trials of life which I have encountered, You are teaching me to wait and be patient. As I strive to develop patience, You stand ready and willing to help me. I know that You will never force me to be more patient … but Your desire is for me to become better at it. If I want to be a mature Christian, I’ve got to be determined in my heart to change … and, trust that You will show me how to do it. As an act of my submission to You, I must bow down before You and pray diligently to be patient like You. Only with Your help can I be certain of becoming a more patient, understanding, mature child like You want me to be. You’ve promised me that all things are possible through trusting in You and believing that if I devote myself to improving my self-control You will help me achieve it.
I have come to understand that patience starts with my growing in love. For Your Word tells me that love is patient, love is kind. As You show me mercy and compassion, I see more clearly a path toward kindness and patience. Because You are a just God and grade me “on the curve” … so should I give others a chance by grading them “on the curve”. Your hope for my life is that I will be gentle in dealing with others and show them how to walk in Your ways … how will I ever do that if I do not show patience toward others? It is hard for me to be patient when I see others openly defying Your will, acting unruly and living for themselves … but I know that does not let me off the hook from being more like You and learning to be patient in my dealings with them. Your commands tell me that I should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger and, in so doing, I become a mirror of righteous living.
I’ve noticed that You are far more patient with me than I am with others or even myself. If You are diligent and patient with me … shouldn’t I be that way with others and myself. In handling my difficulties, I must learn to make small steps and be content with my progress rather than seeking to leap over them in one huge step. To be patient does not mean that I must passively accept my circumstances as though they are unchangeable. Instead, it is through courageous perseverance in the face of suffering and trials that I will ultimately reach my goals. My challenge in learning to become patient is waiting in faith for Your timing and Your good pleasure. I promise that the next time I get discouraged or frustrated, I won’t panic … or give up. I will be patient and let You show me You have everything under control. I will know that I am learning to be patient when I am willing to allow You to take all the time You need to shape me for Your purposes. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Ecclesiastes 7:8 A patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.