Patience is something I am still working on and probably will be until the day I die. I’m one of those hyper people who wants things done yesterday. I don’t deal well with people who are always late or never seem to be urgent about anything. However, God instructs Christians to be patient. Patience is a character trait that gives grace when the flesh wants to push ahead to scold someone because their actions were not done when or how we expected. Patience accepts the situation and seeks wisdom. It understands God is in control, and things happen for our own good. Patience is simply waiting on God to work without fretting or taking matters into your own hands. Patience trusts God!
Have you ever heard someone described as having the patience of Job? That is because He is our greatest example of patience in the Bible. In Job 1:1-5, we see that Job is God’s man, God calls him perfect which means complete. Job is busy praying for his family. He eschews evil, which means to turn away from it. In verse 15, we see the beginning of the horrible things that happen to Job. His donkeys, oxen, and servants of them all are killed. In verse 16, his sheep and servants are killed. In verse 17, his camels and servants are killed, and in verse 19, all of his children are killed by a great wind that causes the house to collapse on them.
Job 1:1-5 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus, did Job continually.”
After all these horrible things had happened to Job, he still did not sin. He did not accuse God of treating him wrongly. Patience allows us to live above the circumstances of our lives because our faith and commitments are to God. Patience reminds us that God loves us infinitely, and we are reminded in Romans 8:28 that He is working on our behalf.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Because of Job’s patience, we see in verse 22 that he could accept what was happening to him and not sin. How many times do people go through hard things and blame God for their circumstances, as if God has no right to allow bad things to happen to them? Patience reminds us of His love and faithfulness, and that we can trust Him.
Job 1:22 “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”
Patience is a godly character trait because God himself is patient. Romans 15:5 teaches us that he is patient. The perfect holy God that we serve is patient with us. He is long-suffering and bears with us through all of our faults. If God deals patiently with us, we should also deal patiently with others. Moms, are you patient with your children? What about your husband or other family members? It is very easy to become impatient quickly with those who are closest to us because we feel secure in their love for us, but it is still wrong. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit that convicts me of my impatience. But I’m especially thankful for all the times He has been patient with me.
Romans 15:5 “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:”
