"And we urge you , brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone."
A while ago I was sitting with a friend who wanted to show me some photos. He was scolling through his phone to find them. It seemed like ages while I waited and I said something like "how long does it take to get them?" I was sick of waiting, he just looked over at me and said gently, "Patience is virtuous." I thought I'd better just be quiet and finally he found what he wanted.
Later in the day I was thinking about what had happened and realised that I don't do so well with this particular fruit of the Spirit called Patience. This quality is a restraint that prevents believers from speaking or acting hastily in the face of disagreement, opposition or persecution.
Sometimes I really miss the mark if waiting in a line to be served or driving and being behind a slow driver not doing the speed limit. I can get very annoyed. So practising patience can be difficult for me.
I am told that waiting for something you really desire can be very rewarding when you finally have what you want, if you can wait patiently and with out complaining. In the book of James it says "to be patient and stand firm because the Lord's coming is near", and in 1 Thessalonians that "we are to be patient with everyone". So we see it is not an option. We need to be able to suppress annoyance when delay occurs.
I have come to the conclusion that all I need to do is to slow down and not be in such a rush. Take time to make the most out of every moment. Just to pause and take a deep breath and pray often helps me overcome impatience.
