Yesterday at work was one of those “I don’t know if I can take anymore” days. It seemed like everything I went to do was blocked by something, someone, somehow. I spent a lot of the day in frustration. I was not slamming things or that kind of stuff, but I was finding it easy to get distracted and not wanting to keep going. By the end of the day the 3-4 sales I thought might be accomplished were sitting on the sidelines and leaving at 5:30 I was so tired I was just looking for a place to lie down.

Needless to say, I am not the best guy for inactivity or not getting things done. As a matter of fact, that statement of “hurry up and wait” causes me to want to cast something out of someone or some thing! Add in the “I can’t figure it out stuff” and sometimes the day is difficult. (Come on inner peace! I don’t have all day! I took a speed waiting course and now I can wait an hour in 10 minutes! Thank you Mr. Wright!)

We often talk about patience and learning. I do understand the need for it and certainly I have become a lot better about it. Certainly, as a child that was not my life style nor was it modeled for me. My dad wahs a whammer jammer “let’s get this thing done” kind of guy. Perhaps it was his upbringing or the military life e had, but either way he was not a patient man.

If I have figured out one thing it is that God is not often into “microwave” thought. He tends to like the longer, simmering thinking. (I am not saying there are not “wow ” so much as I am speaking of maturity and growing up.)

So, why patience? I am not sure. Honestly, I am not. But I am not going to sit and argue about it. I see the results of patience and that is good enough for me. I suggest there are three points that help develop patience. (Keeping in mind I understand that patience is a fruit of the Spirit.) Patience is often described as waiting for, looking and hoping for, expecting, persevering, enduring, bearing, remaining and abiding.

So what helps with patience and your understanding of it?

God Produces-I mentioned that it is a fruit of the Spirit(And fruit is meant to be eaten!) and that means the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will produce this fruit. It will at some point be expressed through your life. (”When? Could we hurry this up? C’mon on!”) And you have no real say in it other than to let it be produced and allow it to expressed. Needless to say there are things you or I can do to cause the tree to receive the “nutrients and such” to produce.

Vision-One of the greatest hindrances to patience is short sightedness. The person who looks at the lock on the door and stops. They will examine the lock, the handle, the hinges and such, but never looking past they become frustrated and impatient. “Open the door! Hurry up!” They need to get vision operative in their life. The Lord of vision is totally capable of giving vision to even the most short sighted person. By the way I am not talking of “big picture versus detail” people or “small bandwidth versus big bandwidth” people as those have more to do with the gift mix of a person. What I am describing is the ability to see out to the future. Do you really believe your future is bright and you will need sunglasses?

Ask God for vision. (Also, I am not talking about projecting answers as opposed to getting a plan, but asking God “what does the future hold”?) The hardest times can be outlived by seeing the future. Jesus endured the cross with joy because of the future before Him. When you begin to get a 1,000 year philosophy life begins to change. You are eternal. Think eternal.

Relax-Stop spinning your wheels. Take a walk. You can choose to get all dramatic and attention seeking or you can relax. Chill!

The last one is a choice. This is where people say to me “oh, that’s easy for you to say. You got it all.” Folks, my life has been interrupted more times than I care to count. If anything I learned patience through frustration. Yesterday I could have flipped out. I took my share of walks. Hung out with others going through difficult times and laughed. It was a “hard day” BUT for God!

You can choose to be impatient. By that very choice you choose to be unloving. “Love is patient, love is kind”. Or you can choose to allow God to be expressed through you.

When we recognize that patience is part of the growing up process, a sign of maturity we have something to shoot for. (2 Peter 1:6)

Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices.”