Life in our community is fairly laid back (it is an island, after all). People aren’t often in a hurry, unless they are trying to catch the ferry. Otherwise, the speed of life is relatively relaxed. Road rage isn’t really a thing, as traffic isn’t a problem, and even if two vehicles have stopped in the middle of the road so that the drivers can have a friendly chat and catch up on various events, a third vehicle coming upon them is usually given room to pass without suffering much of a delay. In our daily travels, impatience tends not to be an issue.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we are patient people. I remember as a parent with younger children the frustration that could build when one of my daughters didn’t seem to be responding in the manner that I felt was appropriate. Usually, my frustration would increase when there was something else that I wanted to be doing, and my need to go over something (again) would try my patience. In other words, when I had to spend time on something that I didn’t want to, knowing that it was preventing me from doing what I really wanted to do, I would grow impatient.
That seems to be at the root of impatience – when we believe that what we want or need to be doing is more important than whatever it is that is preventing us from doing that very thing. It is based upon a rather selfish position. This isn’t to say that what you want to do isn’t important, but it does mean that you feel that what you are stuck doing is less important. That likely explains why we tend to grow impatient in traffic, because seemingly anything is more important than sitting in a traffic jam.
Patience, on the other hand, is a virtue. The Apostle Paul writes about it in two passages that highlight the importance of patience. First, in what is known as the Love chapter, from the 13th Chapter of his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul tells us that “love is patient.” Then, when he is explaining what the life of a Christian looks like when their heart is being guided by the Holy Spirit, Paul lists patience as part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22).
When we view others as more important than ourselves, we strip away the root cause of impatience. A Christian being guided by the Holy Spirit has a new mission in life that no longer is about selfish desires, so it should become easier to focus on the people and situations that God has placed before us, instead of allowing our minds to wander to some other place where we would prefer to be. A heart that loves God first, and then loves neighbors as oneself, is able to be patient even in the most trying situations.
Ultimately, that patience comes from an awareness of just how patient God has been with you. So many times we pursued our own desires, and yet He didn’t abandon us. He has been patiently waiting for us to understand the lessons that He has put before us, and when we grasp just how patient He has been to us, our response should be to model that same behavior and have patience and grace with those around us.
Peace and blessings (and patience) – Pastor Aaron