“Growth of any kind takes time. But learning to be patient with yourself, as well as with others, frees you to enjoy the natural pace of life, which at times can be slower than you’d like it to be.” These are the words I woke up to in one of my many devotional books last week. This author must have been reading my email! Having patience is a hard one for me. But I want it, so I kept reading.
“Practicing patience is choosing to ask God to reveal what He wants to teach you while you are waiting. Does He want you to learn to find joy in the journey, even when you find yourself living in the slow lane?
“When Jesus died, His followers were in limbo for three days, waiting and wondering what would happen. When Jesus heard Lazarus was sick, He waited until after Lazarus died to show up to help His friend. God led the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years on a journey that should have taken only a short time. God’s timetable seems to be the one that encourages growth of patience. Waiting for God helps relieves stress by putting things in perspective.
“Patience slows you down enough to help you find the lessons hidden in the inconveniences. It helps remind you that God is ultimately in control. Patience takes the pressure off of you to make things happen according to your plan and allows you to mature by accepting the sovereignty of God. The more patience grows in you, the less physical tension we will find building inside you when the unexpected happens.”
I needed this. How about you?
From Living Simply