Lord, Give Me Patience
Dan Kunz
When was the last time you counted to ten? If you have a child or a grandchild, it’s a proud moment to hear that child count to ten for the first time. Counting to ten is not only one of the building blocks of the concept of mathematics in our world, but it’s also a technique which people learned, usually as a child, when they grew angry or impatient. If you just count to ten and let your emotions settle down, perhaps you won’t be as angry or impatient. Not bad advice. Sometimes it even works!
As Christians, we often ask God for the things we need, including patience. It is important to note, however, that God doesn’t always just give us things outright. Quite often, he gives us the opportunity to develop or acquire the things we need. We’re not just lifeless lumps of clay that the maker infuses with everything we need to function. Sometimes God puts us in an environment to give us the chance to grow into what he desires. As strange as it seems, a man once explained why he didn’t get upset (as many people do) when confronted with a long line or a delay at the grocery store, or the DMV, or the ticket counter this way - he didn’t get upset because he simply figured God was teaching him patience! Does that describe you?
The times in which we live are not only full of tremendous challenges, but also tremendous blessings. Many families have grown closer together. Christian schools which are able to have in-person classes have, in many cases, shown a growth in enrollment. Ministries which are geared toward technology and offer frightened people much-needed comfort are gathering viewers and listeners in amazing numbers. Another by-product of our current situation is the opportunity to learn patience. We, as a country, are slowly learning to understand that we are not in control. We are not steering the ship. We don’t set the schedule.
For example, my wife and I are building a new home. As much as we’d like and as much as the builder promises a certain timeline, we will move in when the house is finished. Time after time, things are delayed. Supply lines are disrupted. Workers get sick. Weather intervenes in schedules. As my grandma used to say, “There’s no point in getting upset.” God is giving all of us the opportunity to acquire patience through this pandemic. We are all standing in a long line waiting for something!
Patience doesn’t always fit well with human nature or our own personal agenda, but it is a very valuable tool to have in our toolbox, though. The Lord’s own disciples needed to learn patience. They certainly needed it when they were asked to “go into all the world and teach all nations”. Even though they spent three years learning from Jesus himself, they became impatient. Acts 1:6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" The disciples did eventually learn patience. It served them well. Hopefully, we, too will learn to be patient. Waiting isn’t always a bad thing. Ultimately, God will give us the gift of an eternity to be happy!