Ephesians 4.1-3
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
The amount of impatience I observe in the world is alarming. I have noticed that when people are impatient, three things happen:
- They lose focus on what really matters. Rather than working the process that will achieve the goal they want, they engage in BCD (blame others, complain about the situation, defend self).
- The impatient attitude/behavior is counterproductive, and it makes the situation worse.
- When people are impatient, their stress level increases quickly and dramatically. It not only makes the situation more difficult for them, it also makes the situation more difficult for the people around them.
However, I also observe people acting with patience and perseverance, and in those situations the impact is positive and productive.
In particular, I see patient people stay focused on working the process necessary to achieve their goals. They are not discouraged by how long the process takes, nor are they distracted by the inevitable obstacles and challenges they encounter as they work the process. They are just like the farmer in the James 5 passage who “waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.”
Patient people are also problem-solvers. When they encounter problems (which is inevitable in a fallen world), they don’t complain; they solve. They accept problem-solving as part of the process. Patient people aren’t surprised by problems; they are prepared for them.
When impatient people encounter a problem or an obstacle, they are quick to get frustrated and angry, and they are quick to complain. Ironically, their complaining wastes enormous amounts of time and energy that could have been invested in solving the problems. Patient and persistent people waste no time or energy on complaining. They focus all of their energy on solving and achieving.
Needless to say, patient people have an enormous competitive advantage over impatient people. Patient people solve problems faster, with better results, and with significantly less stress.
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4.2)
