God is Patient, Are You?
The modern world is, to be frank, touch-and-go. There is no time for rest and understanding - the faster we get to a place or do a thing, the better it is for us. From the food that is consumed to the cars that are driven on highways around the world, there is this ever pressing need to go faster and faster. In this search for speed, it seems like humanity forgot that not too long ago, travel was done from places like from Europe to North America in months, eventually it took days and eventually hours. In all of these cases, something remains constant: patience.
In the past three months of my life, I’ve been given a crash course on how to be patient - how to truly wait for something you want. As I continue to learn about this fascinating virtue, a startling thing came to my spirit: GOD has asked to be patient all this time and even showed us how to be - we just have to have faith and be ready for the day the blessing comes.
To begin, GOD shows His patience throughout the pages of the Bible on countless occasions. The Apostle Paul is clear in 1 Corinthians 11:1 when he says that “You must follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” - a very slick way of saying to say we must be more like the Lord.
Now how has He been patient? He created the world in six days when He has the power to do it instantaneously (Genesis 1:3 - 2:3). He forgave the people of Israël for its countless cases of idolatry and almost every other sin in the good book (refer to the entire Old Testament), even though they’re His chosen people.
Christ died at the age of 33 for a reason - so that all sin could be manifested before He accomplished the plan that the Father had made for Him and humanity (Romans 5:1 - 21). So yes, GOD has been patient and continues to be patient; He asks you and I to do the same.
The biblical examples of GOD asking humans to be patient are numerous and always important. Abraham is promised to “have a son [...] look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That’s how many descendants you will have” (Genesis 15:4 - 5). It took at least 25 years for Abraham to see the birth of his son Isaac (Genesis 21:1 - 5), a true test of his faith; one that made him a man who was righteous before GOD.
Christ talks about the virtue of patience in one of His most famous parables, that of the patience of the bridesmaids as He spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 25:1 - 13). To be frank, while it seems to be easy to be told to be patient by GOD, who is the master of both time and circumstances, it is a lot harder in day-to-day life… And that’s ok.
There is no instance in which GOD tells us to go through life without Him. The Father sends down His Spirit to help us and to console us; patience is a part of the fruit that the Spirit gives (Galatians 5:22). So through His Holy Spirit, being patient is now more than possible: it becomes your reality. There is a peace that surrounds you, as your time and GOD’s time become one in the same; all of His promises outweigh your worries and your anxiety. As well, in this state, there is no way that you miss your time of visitation (Luc 19:44) as you are aligned with GOD, prepared by His Spirit and in a state of peace and rest, just as Christ wants you to be in (Matthew 28:11)
As I continue to fully comprehend the idea of patience and apply the fact that GOD is patient, has shown me that He wants me to be so as well all while giving me the means to do so in my situation, I am happy.
I can do nothing but hope that all those who read this be blessed with the gift of patience, whether that be for someone they love as Jacob did for Rachel (Genesis 29:20), that you get the child like Abraham (Genesis 21:1 - 5) or whatever else that GOD has planned for you, as He has planned wonderful things for you even before you were born (Jeremiah 29:11); these moments are but a test of your faith that you will rise out of stronger if you put the situation in the hands of our patient, loving and wonderful GOD.
May GOD bless you all abundantly!
Eli
