Looking through my archives I see I’ve written twice on Bible Verses About Patience, here and here. This is such an important topic to and for me…I’m a wife, a momma…I’m alive for goodness sakes and I’m convinced parts of life are one big test in patience! With that in mind, I’m going to spend the next 31 Days writing on Bible Verses about Patience or Bible Quotes about Patience. I’m glad y’all are coming along for the ride–it might be a test in your patience, but I will be preaching to my own little choir of one. Let’s start this series by looking back at some of what I’ve written in the past.
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Bible Quotes About Patience
How many times as a mother do I impatiently try to correct and discipline one of my children for behaving impatiently? As I say to my children in these types of situations, “That’s like the pot calling the kettle black!” I expect them, at young ages to correctly practice and execute the virtue of patience and here I am at 44 still struggling with it. In a previous post I used an all too common example, grocery shopping:
For example…I run into the grocery store to buy milk and eggs and end up standing in line for 15 minutes for two items. By the time I get to the car I need something–something for my impatiet headache, antacids for my churning stomach because I’ve gotten myself all worked up or a drink (something strong or warm or both) to set myself back right with the world.
Was the problem: I expected to run in and run out? I expected all cashiers on hand? I expected an experienced cashier? I expected the lady in front of me to have her act together?
Ah, “Grocery Store” patience…an elusive thing isn’t? (Said in my best documentary voice) Could it be elusive because it’s so common? I mean how often are in the grocery store? What of we considered walking through the sliding doors as entering “Patience Boot Camp?” Well, that puts a whole new spin on the grocery store experience doesn’t. You know what I think is key about what I just said? “Considered.” See the first step in practicing something is to be aware that something even exists. If I intentionally consider my grocery shopping trip as an exercise in patience, I’ll go in prepared.
Bible Verses About Patience
So what does this preparation look like? Let’s visit a previous post where light bulbs were going off left and right as I started making some military like connections.
We just learned “wait” means “to watch, like a sentry.” Oh my goodness, look what I just found when I googled, “like a sentry,” …a soldier who guards a door, gate, etc. Do you see?! Psalm 130:5 states, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits…” We are a part of the “Church Militant,” right there is a connection to the “sentry” reference. So, we wait, like a soldier who guards a door, gate, etc…Let’s say waiting for the Lord can be rephrased as “standing guard.” So what do we guard? Ourselves. Our hearts, minds, souls, words, families, friends, the Church, etc. We’re not just lounging around like some lovely Victorian picture, waiting on the Lord; we are instead, actively standing guard. And typically, when I imagine someone standing guard, I envision they have a weapon. What’s our weapon? The Word of God!
So this preparation looks a lot like what I’m doing for the next 31 Days. I’m learning all I can about my “enemy” of impatience. The more I learn, the better prepared I’ll be to go in to battle and claim victory! And that’s what we want right, victory over impatience!!
I make a choice to cultivate the virtue of patience; standing guard, armed with the Word of God, against the vice of impatience. That is what my next 31 Days will look like. Join me!
Carmel says
Thank you for this blog-study on patience, Jenny. I also will try to keep up. I think one of the interesting things you said was the words “I expected”. I have noticed when I am impatient, I am really expecting something I did not get and that gets me impatient and sometimes angry. So, for me, I try to keep my expectations in check and “go with the flow”. I am not always successful, but the times I tried to have no or few expectations and give other people a broader leeway to behave the way they need to, I did so much better being patient. My favorite phrase to myself in those situations (standing in line, etc.) is “Carmel, the world is not going to end just because you are stuck in this line. Calm down and enjoy people-watching.” 🙂 Or sometimes, I pray for the people ahead of me, that they have a good day with little problems. That is only on my striving-for-sainthood-days, which unfortunately don’t come up nearly enough.
Jenny says
Oh girl–yes, we all have those striving-for-sainthood-days! Love the way you put it!
Linda McClellan says
That will be good for a lot of us out there to read. Thanks Jenny! I’ll try to keep up but church and Bible study not even to mention keeping the house fairly neat and clean make it hard to do all the things I want to do. Oh, I didn’t mention keeping a journal when reading the Bible and devotionals in the mornings and my faith art too. And Jenny I’m retired with my children long out of the nest and I still can’t figure out where my time goes. As I said I really need patience with myself.
Jenny says
I believe patience with ourselves can sometimes be harder. Think of how we judge ourselves sometimes verse how we judge others.