This morning, I read this phrase from a travel advisor who warns all travelers to be patient. “Pack your patience.” This was from an informed traveler who presented ideas to “go with the flow” of today’s travel industry and the hiccups that seem to be the norm.
Pack your patience.
It’s like telling a 2-year-old how to slow down, wait for, and patiently learn how to expect not to get what you want right now! Thank you very much!
Or being told it’ll get better, and you know it won’t, so why live the way you’re living?
Is not my time worth something every time I’m asked to wait patiently, “The _____ will be right with you.” The blank often is filled with a doctor, dentist, tax accountant, interview personnel, or that customer service voice you’ve worked your way through a phone tree to find!
In Luke 21, Jesus is teaching about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. He shows the future time of war. Even though we will see all these actions, the end is not yet near. In this portion of scripture, he advises:
By your patience possess your souls.
(Luke 21:19 NKJV)
What is Patience?
I almost think of patience defining a slower time in life when nothing seemed to be a hurried or harried pace. But we know that’s not the only time we think about it. If you look into the word’s history and the times it was created, you realize there’s been a long-range need to learn how to be patient.
Patient and Patience are from the same root word, and we understand that healing from something is often a slower process. Being patient could be allowing something to happen at the speed it will and not becoming antsy when it doesn’t happen as quickly as one would like.
God is often noted for being patient. (Romans 15:5) Why? Is it because he has the “long game” in mind? He has all the time in the world to let something play out?
If God is not surprised by life, then why am I?
I remember several times in life as I prepared for a major bump in pay and responsibility, the feeling was, “I’m ready for this! Let’s do it!” Reality unfolded and it was a long time coming to know that I was ready.
Stepping into a role
is learning how to patiently wait
for the outcome of what you’ve prepared to do.
Being Ready does not mean it works the way you thought it would!
Life has a way of moving at its speed. I’ve learned it’s not always the season for answers or change but go with the flow until it’s time for a turn-around season where things bounce back.
And we know
that all things work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.
(Romans 8:28 NKJV)
Paul tells about the mark of a true child of God, and I’ll tell you that being patient is helped by my hope and steadfastness of life.
rejoicing in hope,
patient in tribulation,
continuing steadfastly in prayer;
(Romans 12:12 NKJV)
What if learning to be patient is an offspring of how we live and how we are taught to live? Paul describes the Fruit of the Spirit with a word we commonly see as “long-suffering” but is also translated as “patience.” (Galatians 5:22) Then he tells us:
If we live in the Spirit, l
et us also walk in the Spirit.
(Galatians 5:25 NKJV)
Let me tell you what my thought was this morning.
If we are going to live and walk in the Spirit, we must learn to live by faith and hope… wait! Does a scripture paint a picture for us using these words? Of course! Paul, tell us…
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV)
I know I’ve skipped over many references, but I pray you to get the focus. Patience is part and parcel of my faith, hope, and love. Why? Without love, can you have faith and hope? Probably not as well as you could if you are a Spiritual person.
Love is the glue of everything. (John 3:16, 1 John 3:16)