Just Be Patient

“Patience is when you’re supposed to get mad, but you choose to understand.” Anonymous

Happy Monday! 

I hope you made time for some respite over the weekend! On the other hand, maybe you worked and are all about resting today. Whatever your timeline, remember that we are better equipped to pour from a full cup than an empty one.

Just be patient. How many times have you heard someone say that to you? Better yet, how often have you said those exact words to others? Maybe it was your children when they were acting out in anticipation. Perhaps it was when they failed at something, and you wanted to help them by encouraging them. It could have been when you were waiting for something to happen, a promotion, a loan, or a medical report.

Patience can be challenging to manage when our expectations are heightened. But, it can also be a surprising gift when we allow nature to take its course. Think about a time when your patience yielded unexpected benefits.

I recently completed a milestone in my life. My patience was wearing thin, and I was about ready to give up. Instead, I said to myself, “one more time, I’ll do this one more time,” and chose to release control of the outcome. Guess what? With that release of control and resistance and a hefty dose of patience, I finally accomplished the task and was able to reap the reward.

More often than we’d care to admit, some of us neglect the powers of patience and head straight to anger. We felt misunderstood or perhaps were misquoted. Maybe someone didn’t interpret our words or actions in the positive way intended and took offense. We may not have taken the time and patience to explain our motives, but we became angry at the outcome. So often, I think we get mad first and then think about what we could have done differently later. And some of us grew up in a household where anger trumped patience at every opportunity.

Here’s something I found that utilizes one of my favorite words in combination with patience:

Yes, we can choose patience. It may be risky, but we can choose to gather all our control issues and wait patiently for the outcome. We can make a choice to err on the side of positivity as we hold tight to all the patience we can muster.

We see many verses in Scripture about patience:

“But as for that seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and noble heart, and hold on to it tightly, and bear fruit with patience.”  Luke 8:15 (AMP)

“For whatever was written before was written for our instruction, so that through patience and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”  Romans 15:4 (TLV)

”My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”  James 1:2-4 (NKJV)

Practicing patience can lead to an abundance of goodness. We see it in how people treat one another, in business ventures, in managing our emotions, and in seeking peace, you know, the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). It takes choosing to be patient to access the blessings.

Make a choice for patience this week. (I know, I know, be careful what you wish for – lol!) But seriously, give yourself a chance to get on the positive side of patience, eliminate the angry moments, and see what happens. I’ll bet you’ll find an untapped reservoir of benefits when you do!

Be Well & Be Blessed!

Lucinda