Week 41: October 8, 2017

Topic: Impatience – Part 2

Bible Reading: James 5: 1-8

We shall continue our discussion with the commandments regarding impatience in the Bible.

Commandments concerning Impatience

It is the desire of our Lord God that mankind must be patient and wait upon the Him, and the scripture also instructed us not to be impatient.

Testing of your faith provides patience: Whenever your faith is tested, your endurance and patience has a chance to grow, thereby you will not be impatient. I want you to be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith will bring out your endurance, steadfastness and patience. So do not be impatient anytime your faith is being tested because it will certainly produce endurance and patience which will lead to spiritual maturity and inner peace.

During the time of your trial, let patience do its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. It is inevitable that you must permit endurance, steadfastness and patience to do a thorough work during your trial, so that you will be perfectly and fully developed with no defects and lacking in nothing James 1: 3-4. Do not be impatient during your trial because it is a way to grow or develop your patience.

Use the prophets as examples of suffering and patience: Brethren in the Lord, we must take the Biblical prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as examples of suffering and patience. It is important that you consider and use them as an example of suffering and ill treatment together with patience the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as His messengers and representatives James 5: 10. Unlike the prophets of nowadays who are impatient; the prophets mentioned in the scriptures used their anointing to make many people to be rich, yet they themselves are poor. They did not use the spiritual gifts of God to enrich themselves but to resolve the problems of others 2 Corinthians 6: 10. Therefore, discard the traits of impatience in your life and look to the Lord for help. Wait confidently for God to save you, and He will certainly hear your supplications. It is your duty to look to the Lord for assistance and be confident in Him. You must keep watch, wait with hope and expectancy for the God of your Salvation who will hear your prayers and give you a favourable answer Micah 7: 7. If you are impatient and cannot wait on the Lord then you cannot receive anything from Him. So do not be impatient but wait patiently for the Lord to resolve your situation.

Wait patiently for the Lord: Do not be impatient, but let your soul wait for the Lord because He is your help and your shield. Only God can assist and protect you. The idols, the contrary spirits, and the terrestrial powers can neither assist nor protect you Psalm 33: 20. It is written that “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones, not one of them is broken” Psalm 34: 19-20. God will rescue you from your hardships and the perplexing circumstances that confront you. He will deliver you from your adversaries and problems if and only if you are not impatient, but wait for Him to solve your troubles, with the assurance that such troubles will not have lasting impact on your life. Therefore, wait on the Lord throughout the days of your spiritual warfare and service. Wait upon your Creator all the days of your struggle in the land of the living until change and release come through death Job 14: 14. Do not be impatient, but wait for God to give you relief during your lifetime from your hard labour and suffering.

It is for this reason that the patient in spirit is better than the proud and impatient in spirit Ecclesiastes 7: 8. Remember that the end always justifies so do not be impatient, but emulate David who waited patiently for the Lord, and God inclined to him and heard his cry Psalm 40: 1. If you want God to turn to you, hear your cry and assist you, do not be impatient.

Be patient till the coming of the Lord: Do not be restless but wait patiently until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible stated that “Therefore, be patient brethren until the coming of our Lord. See how farmers wait for the previous fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain” James 5: 7. Do not be impatient but wait for the coming of the Lord like how farmers patiently wait for their fruit to germinate in order to have a bumper harvest. Therefore, it is good for people to hope and wait quietly for the Salvation of the Lord Lamentations 3: 26. If you put your hope in the Lord and you are not impatient but wait upon the Lord, then He will certainly save/deliver you.

Be filled with virtues

It is inevitable that humans possess good virtues like patience in order to inherit the kingdom of God. Remember that if you are impatient you can never please the Lord, so be patient in all your ways.

Be patient in all your ways: Be patient in whatever you are passing through, be steadfast and patient in distress and suffering and be devoted to prayer, so that you can gain wisdom, guidance and strength. It is written that “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” Romans 12: 12. Impatience can never solve your problems, so be patient in times of trouble and keep on praying.

We were advised to warn the loafers, the disorderly and the unruly people in our midst. Encourage the timid and fainthearted, help and give our support to the week souls and be patient with everybody 1 Thessalonians 5: 14. It is your duty to be patient with everyone, so do not be impatient in all your dealings. For this reason I urge the older people to be temperate, venerable, sensible, self-controlled and sound in faith, love, steadfastness, and patience of Christ Titus 2: 2. The older people in the churches of the Lord must exhibit good virtues that are worthy to be emulated; most importantly they must be sound in patience with no trace of impatience.

Be a pacesetter: Let your patience be visible to everyone, so that people can proudly relate your conducts to other churches of the Lord concerning your patience and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering 2 Thessalonians 1: 4. If you are not impatient, then people will talk about your patience and faith which you endured in your encounters.

Do not be in a hurry, but let your soul wait for the Lord more than the watchmen wait for the morning, yes, more than the watchman wait for the morning Psalm 130: 6. Let your soul yearn for the Lord in patience throughout your existence.