Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The Virtue of Patience (Part 3)

Everyone struggles with expressing patience on some level and with certain situations.  For many it's just easier to express their impatience with the person or circumstance than it is to have patience and wait.

The patience God desires for His followers to have is one with a "willingness to wait upon Him in difficult circumstance."  Unfortunately, too many exercise "impatience" which is the "inability to tolerate delay."

In this update, I just want to recap a few of the "characteristics" of impatience, and what motivates it.

Impatience Says:
  • I don't trust God and my timing is better than His.
  • I'll use my resources instead of waiting for God's.
  • I know what is important better than God.
  • I want my way more than I want God's will.
  • I'm more concerned about my feelings than my future.
  • Life revolves around my desires, wants, and needs.
What Motivates Impatience
Impatience can be motivated by many different feelings and emotions.  Feelings such as doubt, anger, fear, selfishness, and even rebellion all cause us to be impatient.  If you aren't careful, these emotions will drive your desire to want things to happen on your schedule and timing rather than God's.

Spiritual Obligation
We have a spiritual obligation to express patience.  The scriptures admonish us to "be like Christ."  And Christ was always willing to wait for the Father's timing.  How about you?

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