Patience: The Necessary Character Trait for Victory

Living in our present time of instant gratification and instant results has in many ways been a hindrance and a bit misleading. It doesn't take a Believer in Christ long to realize that GOD does not do many things instantly. GOD is more concerned with the quality and completion of the work than the speed. 

James 1:2-4 says it like this:

My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into diverse trials; knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Think about it for a second:

• We are born as infants and grow to adult size and maturity; this takes anywhere from 18-21 years.
• An unborn child must wait up to 9 months to become fully formed and functional outside of the womb of its mother. 
• Jesus Christ called his disciples but then taught them for more than 3 years before sending them out on their own. 
• The earth's creation was not an instant work.

Even in our earthly realm, we must wait patiently for certain things to happen or develop:

• We all must go through schooling so that we can learn how our world operates and how to relate to it. This is usually done in 12 years.
• If you would like to go further and gain specific knowledge in an area to be able to work in that field, you must go to a trade school or complete college from 2-8 more years depending on the title you are seeking. 
• When we go to restaurants we see the menu but we are not instantly served food; it must first be cooked. 

Aside from all of this, we can see the hazardous nature of instant things and how they do not always amount to something positive:

• Fast food may be fast but it also hazardous to our health and usually not even "food" at all. 
• Losing weight fast with the help of diet pills can be deadly or at minimum hazardous to our health. It also does not solve the root of the problem which is using self control when we eat.
• Responding in a tense or uncomfortable situation without taking time to think and assess how we should respond often causes us to hurt others with our mouths and/or say things which are costly to us.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. 

We would do well to adapt this mindset so that we are not disappointed when things do not instantly happen. 

More importantly, we could save ourselves a lot of anxiety and worry if we would remind ourselves of the benefits of waiting. There is a saying, "Do you want it fast or do you want it done right?"

So whatever season you are in right now, and whatever you have been waiting for the LORD to do, be assured that He is not late and He has not forgotten. I can assure you there is a reason for any perceived delay.

Remember Lazarus. Jesus was sent for when he was sick, but did not go to him until he has been dead four days already. Naturally, that would be a hurtful thing because the Bible records that Mary and Martha we Christ's friends; He loved them. Just like you and I. 

John 11:1-6:

 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou love is sick.

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was

However, when Jesus did show up --four days late -- He performed a miracle that was not only for the benefit of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. But it was also to show the power and authority Jesus Christ had (and would be soon giving to us in Luke 10:19) to resurrect the dead. 

The miracle was not just for those involved but for all who were around them!

We must remind ourselves that we are instruments and vessels through which the Glory of God can operate. Everything is not about us exclusively. 

• Your healing from stage 4 breast cancer could help others know that Jesus can heal. 
• The restoration of your broken marriage could be a testimony for other couples who are sure to experience the valleys of marriage. 
• The business idea that you have long buried and given up on could be the very thing GOD will use to help others around you know He is real!

There are countless reasons that GOD may use to delay our answers, we cannot know them all. But we can be assured that:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Ultimately, it is patience that allows us to see some of life's sweetest victories. Without patience we miss out on a lot of life. We should look at patience as a necessary component to our lives instead of an inconvenience. It is truly for our good!