We all struggle with patience, Christian or not. Every day, we encounter situations where our patience is tested, and more often than not, we fail.
And there is nothing wrong with that. After all, we are just human. We make mistakes.
The irony is that even though we know this as a fact, we still feel guilty every time we lose our cool.
If you’re a Christian, the reason for this is that you now have a new heart that wants to please your Lord and Master.
You want to be perfect, and overcoming impatience as a Christian is at the top of your priority.
Why Is It Hard to Be Patient in Difficult Situations?
Staying patient in difficult situations can be hard for Christians for a number of reasons.
We know we are required to be patient, but we often find ourselves becoming upset or disconcerted when things are not going our way. One reason is our human nature.
While the Bible says Christians are a new creation in Christ, it doesn’t mean we can never make mistakes.
In reality, our human nature always leads us to desire immediate gratification. We want to seek quick solutions to problems all the time.
When we feel that God is not answering our prayers or not helping us during times of trouble, we become frustrated and become impatient.
Many Christians attempt to do things their own way when they feel God is not doing something about their situation.
Our fast-paced society is one of the things to blame. We live in an unprecedented time in history where we are bombarded with messages of instant gratification 24/7.
All the ads we see online and offline can make it hard for us to be patient.
Society has conditioned us to expect quick results and makes us feel that we are falling behind if we are not making progress.
As a result, when faced with difficult situations, we may feel that we don’t deserve to encounter obstacles and problems.
We then question God’s love for us and think that he may be punishing us.
We question why He allows us to go through such pain, and this leads to feelings of impatience or even doubt and anger.
One thing we need to remember as Christians, though, is that the Bible doesn’t promise Christians an easy life.
On the contrary, it acknowledges that life is going to be difficult and that staying patient is not easy.
James wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
The emergence of the prosperity gospel has led many Christians to believe that they don’t deserve to face difficult situations in life.
Yet, the Bible itself says that facing trials is an inevitable part of the Christian journey.
Patience: A Fruit of the Spirit
Paul, in his epistle to the Galatians, talks about “patience” as third on the list of this ninefold virtue.
It’s interesting that patience is one of the virtues we are called to cultivate as Christians.
Many followers of Christ struggle with patience mainly because they feel they are supposed to have it naturally or automatically the moment they become Christians.
This is not biblical. Patience is not something that human beings (not even Christians) can manufacture through their own efforts.
Rather, it is produced in us as we surrender to God’s will and allow the Holy Spirit to work within us.
Patience is a byproduct of the new birth that we experience as God conforms us to the image of His son, Jesus. And this conforming doesn’t happen overnight.
This is important for Christians to understand, and this understanding is a prerequisite to staying patient in challenging situations.
The Bible also teaches that patience is associated with other virtues such as faith, hope, and love.
One of the most famous passages from 1 Corinthians says, “Love is patient.”
This shows us that patience is actually a component of love.
Without patience, one cannot love because patience gives one the power to wait for others, bear with their weaknesses, and forgive them when they do wrong.
The Christian Response
Have you ever noticed that sometimes it’s not just one thing that makes us lose our patience but rather a buildup of external factors throughout the day?
It’s tough because then the poor soul who happens to be around when we finally snap gets the brunt of our frustration.
But who’s to blame in those situations? Is it the fault of the person who happens to be there, or should we point the finger at all the little things that led up to that moment?
Staying patient in challenging situations is our responsibility.
People can do all sorts of things that hurt us or make us feel embarrassed or offended, and it’s totally okay to have an emotional response to that.
But here’s the thing: we don’t have the right to blame the other person for how we respond. Feeling a certain way is not the same as acting on those feelings.
It’s important to remember that our response is our responsibility, and we have the power to choose how we react to any given situation.
It’s okay to feel hurt or sad when someone offends us. We have a right to those emotions. But we can’t shut the other person out or say mean things to them.
It’s also okay to feel angry or upset, but that doesn’t mean we have the right to yell, speak down to them, or withhold love and respect.
It’s crucial to remember that our response is our responsibility.
We have the power to choose how we react in any given situation, and we should strive to respond with kindness and respect, even when we’re feeling hurt or upset.
Cultivating Patience and Love Through Christ
As Christians, we are to respond with love and patience, even in the most challenging situations.
But what does that really mean? How do we cultivate that kind of response within ourselves?
It’s crucial to remember that God’s love and grace are always available to us.
When we’re feeling frustrated or overwhelmed, taking a moment to pause and pray can make all the difference.
We can ask God to help us respond with patience and kindness, even when it’s difficult.
Practice patience and forgiveness daily, even in small ways, is also critical.
When someone cuts us off in traffic or is rude to us in a store, we can choose to respond with kindness and patience rather than anger or frustration.
Over time, these small acts can help us cultivate a habit of patience and love, making it easier to respond in kind when faced with more significant challenges.
Staying patient in challenging situations is a fundamental part of living out our Christian faith.
By asking ourselves how Jesus would respond, relying on God’s love and grace, and practicing patience and forgiveness daily, we can cultivate a spirit of patience within ourselves and make a positive impact on the world around us.
