Romans 8:25 …
Psalm 37: 7-9 …. There is a proverbial saying in the households that says, “Patience is a virtue.” When typically, this phrase is not attributed to any original speaker, nor is there an explanation of why patience is a virtue. This phrase is often spoken to encourage someone to wait on a desired outcome and not try to force a particular occurrence. Note, the phrase does not say, “waiting is a virtue.” Rather, there is a distinction between waiting and being patient.
While the phrase itself is not biblical, there is biblical truth in the statement. Patience is cited as one of the qualities of love in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians.
“Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant.” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
With this verse accompanied by details of the entire chapter, we can conclude that patience is not simply the act of waiting, but waiting without complaint (self-seeking). Patience is in reality a virtue, and one of biblical significance. With a clearer understanding of patience, we can begin to examine the Bible for examples and how that virtue relates to waiting.
K; Q: What Does the Bible Say about Patience or Waiting on the Lord?
I. The Bible includes many tales of people waiting on God. These stories range from the Israelites’ forty-year journey through the wilderness, to Jesus waiting to be sacrificed on Calvary.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Much like the annual seasons, we have to wait to see certain aspects of life. Kids wait to grow up. Adults wait to grow old. People wait to find jobs or wait to get married. In many instances, waiting is out of our control. And in many instances waiting is undesired. There is instant gratification plagueing the world today, especially American society. Information, online shopping, and communication are available at our fingertips. Thankfully, the Bible has already transcended such thinking with the idea of patience.
As the Bible makes the case that patience is waiting without complaint, the Bible also makes clear that waiting is difficult. The Book of Psalms provides many passages of crying to the Lord, praying for a change – turning a dark season into something brighter. As David shows in Psalm 3 while he fled his son Absalom, he prayed with full confidence that God would deliver him from the hand of the enemy. His writings were not always so positive. Psalm 13 reflects greater despair, but he still ends on a note of trusting God. Waiting becomes patience when trust is involved.
David used prayer to express his grievances to God but never allowed the situation to make him lose sight of God. This is vital for Christians to remember. While life will prove to be very difficult, sometimes it can cause despair, God provides a temporary solution, prayer. In the end, He will take care of the rest. When we choose to give God control instead of wrestling over it for ourselves, we begin to mirror Jesus who said, “Not my will, but thine will, be done” (Luke 22:42).
Developing this virtue is not easy, but definitely possible.
“He who is slow to anger has great understanding (wisdom), but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly” (Proverbs 14:29).
