Patience is a Virtue
By Christy Young
Mitchell County
On any given day, we will encounter frustrating people and situations. Sometimes at work, home, and even church. Oftentimes we feel like lashing out, but God wants us to stay calm and patient. Patience is a hard act to develop and does not happen overnight (unfortunately). 1 Thessalonians 5:14 says, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”
God urges us to be tolerant, kind, and bear each other’s burdens. In today’s society, it is very hard to react with patience and kindness. We are living in a world that is in turmoil and intolerant of each other’s values and convictions. Patience is one of the spiritual fruits and can calm or delay adversity around us. Instead of allowing frustrating people to stir us up, we need to react peacefully and patiently, therefore, shining the presence of God in our situations. Our thoughts, our emotions, and our speech should be reflective of God. Our mind (thoughts) should dwell upon the promises of our Heavenly Father and the gift of salvation freely granted to us. His spirit will help keep our perspective and heart right. Emotions (negative feelings) will often guide our reactions. When we are emotionally drained and discouraged we tend to act on impulse rather than patience. In those situations, we must pause and ask the Holy Spirit to guide our actions and reactions. Our speech (tongue) can be our most dangerous weapon. Psalms 64:3 says, “Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words.” Having self-control and being slow and patient to speak can be great attributes. Our words and actions define us as Christians. Strive to be unprovoked and ask God to speak His words through you (in His time) and refrain from getting in the flesh. Proverbs 15:18, “A wrathful man stirreth up strife, but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.” I confess that the past month has been challenging. I am struggling to be patient and understand God’s will in my life. It is easy to get frustrated and let your thoughts and emotions guide you into a dark and unfavorable place. Nevertheless, I realize that God has ordained me to live through this appointed time and allowed me to face the circumstances of my surroundings. My prayer is that I can be patient, seek His wisdom, and be pleasing to my Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us all strive to be patient and obedient to the calling that the Lord has upon our lives. Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Patience is a virtue that carries a lot of WAIT!
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Christy Young is the blessed wife of Chris Young and the proud mother of Hunter and Holden. She is a life-long resident of Mitchell County, works at Mitchell County Finance Office, and is a member of Bear Creek Baptist Church.
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