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Practicing Patience

by Heidi

It occurs to me that Christians are often afraid (even if just jokingly) to ask for patience. There's the common idea that If you ask for God to teach you patience you never know what you'll get. We all know that trials produce patience, and we don't want Him sending any trials our way...

I was thinking of it another way recently. Even with the threat of trials, it's still wise to pray for patience. Also patience is something that one can develop. It's like muscles. If you pray that God will give you big muscles that's all well and good, but honestly you do have muscles already, you need to work them out, practice using them and they will develop.

The difference lies in the concept of being patient and having patience. People often think that either I am patient/compassionate/loving/giving . . . or not. But you can practice patience the same way you practice riding a bike so that you'll learn it. And you can also practice it the same way a Dr. practices medicine in that it becomes your daily activity, something you do. Once it becomes something you do then it'll become something you are--patient.

There are many ways day to day to practice patience:

-Once way that may seem ridiculous is to simply drive the speed limit. We're all rushing to keep up with each other, rushing to get home as fast as we can, rushing so we won't be late . . . but by making yourself actually drive the speed limit (yes, friends, it is possible) you'll be practicing patience (and obedience, but that's another topic).

-You can be patient at the grocery story and not reach in front of other people, but quietly wait for them to finish so you can get to the object you want.

-You can be patient with children (and adults) who are trying to tell you something--even if what they're saying doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

There are so many ways to practice patience. One thing to remember is that we can and should show at least the same amount of patience to those we live with as we do to strangers.

Of course, it does take a lot of practice. But little by little one situation at a time you can train yourself to be patient. Practicing patience doesn't always mean that you feel patient. You may be feeling very impatient, but you can still act patiently and thereby become patient.

   

 

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