Impatience, the rebellious kick-starter

August 24, 2015.

Impatiens or impatience

Impatiens-such a great name for such a sweet flower, taking root and growing and spreading in a seemingly impatient manner! It is in a hurry to spread; wherever, whenever, however. Our own impatiens, pictured above, have brought the fourth fruit of the Spirit, (patience), into sharp relief against the backdrop of Paul's prayer for the church in Colossians 1:9,10, He prays that they might be

Ë filled with the knowledge of the will of God; with all spiritual wisdom and understanding

Ë walking in a manner worthy of the Lord

Ë pleasing the Lord in all respects

Ë bearing fruit in every good work

Ë increasing in the knowledge of God

As is so often the case, Paul’s prayer includes the grace that is necessary for such fulfillment:

“strengthened with all power according to His glorious might.(verse 11)

He gives an ultimate purpose:

for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience,”

and concludes with the antidote to impatience:

“joyously giving thanks to the Father

who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”(verse 12)

Being impatient goes directly against what Paul prays for the church.  Meaning, my impatience is in direction opposition to the will of God. It is in a hurry to spread; wherever, whenever, however. And, it must be admitted, it is often the precursor to unrighteous anger. A lack of patience basically underscores my own unwillingness to trust God in any given circumstance.  But, it seems that impatience is such a trifling sin; unimportant when set against the heavyweights of adultery or murder.  Or is it? 

Could it be that Adam and Eve were the very first impatient ones?  Allowing Satan to convince them that God was holding something back, they really didn’t need to obey Him or wait for Him to reveal more of Himself; they could take a shortcut, with impatience as the kick-starter.  By hoping to circumvent the will of God, they took matters into their own hands, wanting to be just like God.  They were unwilling to wait for the very One who created them, loved them, and has been patiently waiting ever since time began, for people to turn to Him.

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness, and forbearance and patience,

not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”  (Romans 2:4)

There is a repentance that leads to salvation, and an ongoing repentance that leads to godliness. While the old saying is still true: “patience is a virtue,” I am thankful that it is a fruit of the Spirit, and one which my Saviour wants to see flourishing in the garden of my soul  ̴ ‘strengthened with all power according to His glorious might.’

I won’t be uprooting my impatiens any time soon, but I will be digging deep to tear out the insidious roots of impatience in my own heart, replacing it with a joyful and thankful spirit.

It Wears Thin...

It wears thin, after awhile; like a garment that is getting old- I speak of patience.  This fourth fruit of the Spirit, mentioned in Galatians 5:22, has had a habit, lately, of not quite coming to full maturity, full fruition; and I am left with the dregs of a lecturing tongue or a fuming heart.  Having stopped by someone’s home this week, I couldn’t help but notice the little rock sitting next to their door…and you guessed it, painted ever so lovely there was the word, ‘patience.’   A lack of patience is somewhat odd for me, since I tend to be very patient; sometimes excessively so.  What to make of this? 

I suppose I could be forgiven for a little impatience from time-to-time.  But I need to take a serious look at “why now?”  Why am I so quick to demand my own agenda; so concerned about doing it my way, right away?  Where does this come from?  Bottom line, of course, is the fact that it is sinful.  But under-girding it is, admittedly, a tired heart. The words of 1 Corinthians 13:4 almost shouted at me: “Love is patient, love is kind…”  Berating myself, and determining to become more patient, has hardly helped.  

So, I am thankful for my pastor’s recent comment: “You have two jobs; one at The Villa and one with your Mom.”  He is right, and it was helpful to get some perspective on it.    A warning bell has gone off in my mind; I really need a break.  And the same words: “Love is patient, love is kind,” are now whispering to me; breathing life into my soul as I consider the patience and kindness of Jesus Christ.  He is patient.  He is kind.  I am His daughter. I can truly find refreshing rest, in my Saviour, and in admitting my own weakness and fatigue.  

Some time ago, (Feb.17, 2014:”Golden Threads”), I wrote about a couple - Jim and Lillian Scott.  Mr. Scott was the epitome of patience, especially as his dear wife slipped further and further away into the dense fog of Alzheimer’s.  His own heart ached so, for the love of his life; spending hours by her side, devoted to the end.  His testimony did not go unnoticed and a friend of mine, who got married on August 1, 2015, wrote me the following note, in response to my congratulatory words: 

“I thank Mr. Jim Scott for showing me by his treatment of his wife Lillian, how to conduct myself in marriage. Margo and I met 6 years ago at the Yonge Street Mission.”

Thank you, John, for refreshing my tired soul, by reminding me of these dear friends and Mr. Scott’s example of patience and kindness. We can be sure that he would be the first to admit that it was the Lord’s doing.  And for this I am grateful.  It's true: "God is not finished with me yet," and He is the one who is determined to bear this precious fruit of patience in my life.

I will be planning a break; and that right soon.