Patience
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1.2-4
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1.2-4
Webster defines patience as: “The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. Patience may spring from constitutional fortitude, from a kind of heroic pride, or from Christian submission to the divine will.”
Patience may be experienced as we engage in simple tasks with someone less experienced. How many times have you seen a toddler running around with untied shoe laces? Did you take the time to teach them how to tie them, or did you simply retie them yourself? When your eighth grade son was off to his first formal photoshoot, did you teach him how to tie his tie or did you tie it, slip it off of your head and then slip it on his?
A husband may think that sitting in the car with the engine running on a Sunday morning – tooting the horn every couple of minutes as his wife prepares herself (often the preparation includes feeding and dressing the kids) – is being patient. Webster says that patience includes “endurance without murmuring or fretfulness.”
The Psalmist gives us his clear understanding of true patience when he says: “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40.1) The original language suggests the following: “While I was waiting, I waited.” Patience is more than simply spending idle time as we anxiously long for movement on the part of another person or situation.
When you come to a railroad crossing, you should be alert to possible danger, and when the caution arm descends a lack of patience may result in a catastrophic outcome. The amber light means one should be cautious and not try to see how quickly your vehicle can accelerate. It is not a time to become angry with the person who chooses to stop rather than test fate. Waiting behind that person would be required, but in no way resembles patience.
Too often, in our Christian lives, we bide our time as we linger around hoping God will answer our prayers. We become impatient believing that God should run on our time schedule and we should not be relegated to running (or stopping) according to His.
It is not difficult to say that God is never late and that His timing is perfect; however, a true barometer of faith is in our ability to truly wait while we are waiting – to be patient under whatever load we find ourselves in.
As followers of Christ, we must understand that not only are our steps ordered by the Lord, but also our sitting down and waiting. (Psalm 27.14; 37.7, 23; 139.2)
Patience may be experienced as we engage in simple tasks with someone less experienced. How many times have you seen a toddler running around with untied shoe laces? Did you take the time to teach them how to tie them, or did you simply retie them yourself? When your eighth grade son was off to his first formal photoshoot, did you teach him how to tie his tie or did you tie it, slip it off of your head and then slip it on his?
A husband may think that sitting in the car with the engine running on a Sunday morning – tooting the horn every couple of minutes as his wife prepares herself (often the preparation includes feeding and dressing the kids) – is being patient. Webster says that patience includes “endurance without murmuring or fretfulness.”
The Psalmist gives us his clear understanding of true patience when he says: “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40.1) The original language suggests the following: “While I was waiting, I waited.” Patience is more than simply spending idle time as we anxiously long for movement on the part of another person or situation.
When you come to a railroad crossing, you should be alert to possible danger, and when the caution arm descends a lack of patience may result in a catastrophic outcome. The amber light means one should be cautious and not try to see how quickly your vehicle can accelerate. It is not a time to become angry with the person who chooses to stop rather than test fate. Waiting behind that person would be required, but in no way resembles patience.
Too often, in our Christian lives, we bide our time as we linger around hoping God will answer our prayers. We become impatient believing that God should run on our time schedule and we should not be relegated to running (or stopping) according to His.
It is not difficult to say that God is never late and that His timing is perfect; however, a true barometer of faith is in our ability to truly wait while we are waiting – to be patient under whatever load we find ourselves in.
As followers of Christ, we must understand that not only are our steps ordered by the Lord, but also our sitting down and waiting. (Psalm 27.14; 37.7, 23; 139.2)
Copyright © 2026 Dr. John H. Hill, All rights reserved.
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