Mission Venture Ministries

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12) 

In the Bible, the word patience can refer to both longsuffering and perseverance. It reveals itself when we are willing to wait without frustration while suffering or experiencing some strong desire to do things our own way. What’s more, being patient means accepting whatever God chooses to give or not to give and willingly receiving it on His timetable. 

Patience is crucial in the Christian faith because it demonstrates our trust in God’s sovereignty and His timing. In the meantime, we must pray, obey, and seek His direction. The danger of impatience is that we might miss out on the Lord’s blessing and perfect plan. But when we trust in our Father’s will and His perfect timing, we will know inner peace. 

When everything is going our way, patience is easy to demonstrate. The true test of patience comes when our rights are violated and we are treated unfairly. Impatience, intolerance, or irritability toward anything that hinders or delays what we seek ends up appearing to be justified anger. The Bible, however, praises patience as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) which should be produced by all followers of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Patience reveals our faith in God’s timing, supreme power and love. 

Remember to carefully examine whether you are resolving the problem in your own strength or releasing the circumstance to Almighty God. We are to “rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him,” (Psalm 37:7) and to always remember to seek God’s way and His perfect timing. 

Patience is the capacity to tolerate challenges or delays without getting upset; it is the capacity to calmly endure and to have forbearance, meaning to refrain from taking action when the time is not right. Most of us would like to have more patience in our lives, but it’s not always easy and therefore we need to seek the Lord and ask for His wisdom. 

Patience is the subject of many Bible studies, counseling sessions, and prayers because life can lead us to react incorrectly, to frustration, and to disappointment. We may find ourselves praying for more patience when we’ve been waiting on the Lord to give us clarity in our lives or we are praying for a long time for God to change our circumstances and still have not clearly heard from Him. 

No matter what leads us to desire more patience, the Bible offers excellent guidance. Let’s look to the Word of God to explore how to become more patient and what it means to have patience. We can learn a lot about patience in the Bible, since patience is persisting in God’s word, as reflected in this short summary: 

• Patience comes from wisdom. “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11) 

• Love is patient. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4). 

• We should be patient and gentle with one another. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). 

• We should persevere and be patient and emulate the Lord. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:12-13). 

• It is the evidence of Holy Spirit working in us, which is reflected in “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,” which are the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). 

• The way we reflect our patience is by holding back our anger, “because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20). 

• Being able to correct and encourage with patience. “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). 

• When impatient or anxious present our request to God with thanksgiving. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). 

• And most importantly keeping our focus on God because, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You” (Isaiah 26:3). 

Patience does not develop overnight. God’s power and goodness are crucial to the development of patience. Colossians 1:11 tells us that we are strengthened by Him to “great endurance and patience,” while James 1:3-4 encourages us to know that trials are His way of perfecting our patience. Our patience is further developed and strengthened by resting in God’s perfect will and timing, even in the face of evil men who “succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7). Our patience is rewarded in the end “because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:7-8). 

Always remember that “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him” (Lamentations 3:25), and that ultimately patience develops our faith. 

*******