Loyal, OK

 
Pastor Leon Seaton

Ten Steps to Patience

 "Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind."  Leonardo da Vinci

First, we need to look at impatience.  I believe that the root cause of impatience is selfishness.  If we are impatiently waiting for someone to finish talking, we are not listening to them... we are thinking that what we have to say is much more important!

If we are quick to blow our car horn when the stop light changes, we are focused on our needs, not the other driver's needs.

Think of the sacrifices the Bible characters made so that you and I can enjoy our spiritual heritage!

2 Corinthians 6:4-10  "As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

Patience is a virtue, not a weakness.

We all know that "Tribulation works patience."  Some of us have discovered the hard way that God will send us a problem or two to help us develop patience!  (See Romans 5:3)

Proverbs 19:11 "A man's wisdom gives him patience."

James 1:5 tells us to ask for wisdom. Therefore when we pray for wisdom we can pray for patience without actually praying for patience!

God really wants us to be patient. Galatians 5 lists the fruit of the Holy Spirit. One of those gifts is Patience. Help is available if we will spend time in the Word and in prayer - and seek ways to better understand others.

If you want to be patient:

• Once you set your goal, do not settle for second best. Know that Satan will fight you!

• God has a way out if the temptation to give up is too strong. 1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

• Keep your eyes on the goal. The Old Testament was rule-oriented. Lots of rules! The New Testament is goal-oriented. First Timothy 1:5, "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

The Ten Steps to Patience:

1. Always keep the big picture in mind. Our goal is to be godly. My personal goal is that people feel God's love whenever I enter a room.

2. Imitate patient people. Hebrews 6:12, "We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

3. Follow through. If you make a commitment, keep it! If you have determined to walk in love and blow it, confess the sin, get up, brush the dust off your knees and start again.

4. Learn from your mistakes. I have learned a lot more from my mistakes than from my successes. Success is to be enjoyed and celebrated! Mistakes are opportunities to grow and show godly patience. (Yes, we can learn from success as well!)

5. Overcome the "I want it now!" mentality. Sorry, but fast food and fast wealth are both harmful to us. And there is not such thing as becoming patient overnight! Patience has to grow, so "Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you will reap if you do not faint." (2 Thessalonians 3:13, KJV)  The NIV says, "And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right."

6. Develop good communication. (Taken from CIGNA Behavioral Health).

7. Pray and meditate on God's Word on a routine basis. Ask God to show you how He sees you - and ask for His suggestions on ways to change.

8. Walk in love. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8) Proverbs 10:12: "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs."

9. Accept the fact that you may be overloaded! If you have taken on too many responsibilities - or life has dumped them in your lap against your will - release what you can!

10. Learn to laugh at yourself! I can't speak for you, but I do some pretty dumb things! It seems to me that most of us do!

So... be honest with God and yourself for a few moments.  How do you see yourself?  If you think you are patient and frequently tell yourself you are, and then you will become patient.  On the other hand, if you like to see yourself as a dominating person, that will come to pass as well.

Let's close by praying and asking God what He wants of us!

Sincerely, Pastor Leon  . . . . . . . . .