Patience Training
The Exercise We Could All Use More Of
Recently I’ve been in a challenging season of life. A season where it seemed that God was teaching me all the ins and outs of patience. From forgetting my keys twice as much as normal, to major prayers going unanswered, this patience thing was a hard pill to swallow. So, as anyone who is seemingly “stuck” in an unpleasant season, I began to ask the ever-famous “why” questions. You know, the ones we sometimes like to ask God, as if He doesn’t know exactly what He’s doing to benefit us.
“Why me?”
“Why now?”
“Why patience?”
This was the moment I realized I was not being punished, but I was instead being trained. It was not until then that my “why” questions became “why not” and I finally got the answers I had been searching for.
“Why not me?”
“Why not now?”
“Why not patience?”
Now, I am not of the mindset that I’ve been put in a time-out and far from God. Rather, I am in Patience Training. I’m being taught each day that trees of big patience come from seeds of little patience. So when I get behind a vehicle moving five below the speed limit, when the person in front of me at the store has way too many items to be in the Express Lane, I can remember the training of my patience. These smaller things equip me to deal with bigger spiritual battles, and in the end allow me to be more fruitful. When the pressure is on in your spiritual walk with Christ, ask not the “why,” but the “why not” and expect to be trained (and blessed) accordingly._______
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12).
Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about the wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper - it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land (Psalm 37:7-9).
The fruit of the Spirit is ... patience ...(Galatians 5:22).
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Becca Barnes is a human services and counseling major at Lindsey Wilson College. She is a member of the LWC Singers and serves as the assistant to the director of choral ensembles and church relations.
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Becca Barnes is a human services and counseling major at Lindsey Wilson College. She is a member of the LWC Singers and serves as the assistant to the director of choral ensembles and church relations.
