The Art of Patience

Trusting His Timetable

God has very big plans in store for you, so trust Him and wait patiently for those plans to unfold. And remember: God’s timing is best, so don’t allow yourself to become discouraged if things don’t work out exactly as you wish. Instead of worrying about your future, entrust it to God. He knows exactly what you need and exactly when you need it.

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Are you a person in a hurry? If so, you’re probably not the only one in your neighborhood. We human beings are, by our very nature, impatient. We are impatient with others, impatient with ourselves, and impatient with our Creator. We want things to happen according to our own timetables, but our Heavenly Father may have other plans. That’s why we must learn the art of patience.

All too often, we are unwilling to trust God’s perfect timing we allow ourselves to become apprehensive and anxious as we wait nervously for God to act. Usually, we know what we want, and we know precisely when we want it: right now, if not sooner. But, when God’s plans differ from our own, we must train ourselves to trust in His infinite wisdom and in His infinite love.

As people living in a fast-paced world, many of us find that waiting quietly for God is quite troubling. But in our better moments, we realize that patience is not only a virtue, it is also a commandment from the Creator.

Psalm 37:7 makes it clear that we should “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (NIV). But ours is a generation that usually places little value on stillness and patience. No matter. God instructs us to be patient in all things, and we must obey Him or suffer the consequences of His displeasure.

We must be patient with our families, with our friends, and with ourselves. We must also be patient with our Heavenly Father as He shapes our world (and our lives) in accordance with His timetable, not our own. And that’s as it should be. After all, think how patient God has been with us.

References:

“66: Trusting His Timetable.” New Beginnings … Finding God’s Path for Your Life. Nashville, TN: Freeman-Smith LLC, 2008. 271-72. Print.