Am I  Waiting Patiently?

“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:25 NIV).

   “I don’t know what subject to write about.  I need to know it soon.  Deadline is coming up.  Please, Lord, give me a topic now.  Wait a minute, that’s it.  I need to write about patience.”

   That’s a conversation I had with myself today while I was searching for a suitable topic for today’s blog.  I wasn’t being very patient.  In fact, I was being a little bit snippy.  Lord, I’m sorry.  You have never left me in the lurch.  

   I should have realized that this was the topic today when I went shopping at Costco.   Not many checkout lines were open, and I wound up in a line that stood still while the other ones moved right along.   Several people left the line in front of me and I wound up behind a lady with a full shopping cart.  Guess what?  She had three separate orders in her cart.  On the way home I changed lanes so I would be ready to get into the left turn lane.  No sooner had I gotten into the lane when it slowed dramatically and finally stopped far from the traffic signal.

   I should have known by this time that I should study patience because in none of these instances was I very patient.  I also have something very important that I need to decide, but I have to wait until I know some things that I don’t yet know, and it looks like it will be a while before I find out the necessary information.  I guess I’m in a good place to learn about patience.

   I’ve always said that patience is a virtue, which makes me wonder how virtuous I am--not very on my own, but I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.  1 Corinthians 13:4 is the beginning of a long list of attributes of love:  “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” (NIV).  It is interesting that patience is the first attribute listed about love.  So if I am going to love, I must be patient.  Ephesians 4:2 reiterates the importance of patience:  “Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love” (NIV).   

   Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6,7:  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (NIV).  That tells we what I should do about the important decision that I need to make—pray, and God will give me peace.  I will have peace because He will answer my prayers and petitions.

   In all of these situations, even the little ones, I need to remember the words of Jeremiah 29:11:  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV).  I can’t say that I have learned to be patient at all times, but I have learned that I need to be patient at all times if I want to have the peace of God, and if I want to treat others as I am expected by my Savior to do.