My patience with myself, with others and with God is not what it should be. Is yours? We want everything Burger King style. I want it right away, my way, right now! Pride can often lead to impatience. It’s as though they are intertwined. Pride and impatience say “ME, ME, ME!” They both put self before others and God. Humility does not come easy. We all know that elders often take their time in moving into action. Those of us who have reared children know how much we should tolerate in behavior. And, we know what it’s like to run out of patience with them.
We learn from the Bible that God is forbearing. He has every right to demand perfection from us, and surely that should be our progressive goal. Still anyone who professes to be without sin is a liar. Right? God is perfect though. He has the right to be impatient but He’s not. He has the right to have things His way, immediately. However, God is not pushy. He forbears with us imperfect selfish people. Grace is bigger than our debt.
I leave you with two passages to consider from James’ Epistle.

“ Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— (14)  yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (15)  Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ (16)  As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (17)  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:13-17 (ESV)
“ Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. (8)  You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (9)  Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. (10)  As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. (11)  Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” James 5:7-11 (ESV)

-Donny Weimar