Dictionary.com defines the word “patience” as a noun meaning “an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. A quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence.”

We are living in a culture of violent reactions to common annoyances. From road rage to drive-by shootings, impatience is becoming more and more common throughout the world and for sure right here in the United States. Beyond road rage, daily police respond to neighbor disputes. Pastors deal with dear people within the church family who sadly have demonstrated something far less than graciousness and patience. Cashiers face impatient people in the check out lines. Customer service representatives deal daily with folks whose patience fuse is very short.

You see it often.
Maybe you struggle with it at times.
It hits me the quickest when I am driving and someone unsafely pulls out ahead of me and no one is coming behind me. I wouldn’t have had to hit my brakes if they only….. you get the point.
We are in this together.

Without oversimplification, here are some things that are helping me.

1. Of all things, stay thankful. “My brethren,” James writes, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trial, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3).

2. Grow in your fruitfulness of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23).

3. Learn much, much more about our Savior. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

This is not a quick fix recipe. Rather, it is a lifelong discipline and practice. I love you friends. Welcome aboard the “patience-needers” express.