Patience is a virtue that we need in almost every situation we face – from standing in the dreadful eight-person line at Publix, to driving behind a slow car, to anticipating a promotion in your workplace, and waiting for your perfect match to finally emerge into your life.
It is a powerful quality that many of us yearn for but also struggle to live out. I truly believe that patience is the key virtues to living a happy and fulfilling life. Patience is so powerful yet so difficult to attain because it requires waiting during times that are difficult or painful.
Dictionary.com translates the term patience as “the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.”
Likewise, Author and MD Judith Orloff explains her definition of patience in a Huffington Post article: “I’m defining patience as an active state, a choice to hold tight until intuition says, ‘make your move.’ It means waiting your turn, knowing your turn will come.”
Patience requires confidence in yourself during a difficult time while still carrying out a sense of hope. Basically, you’re not getting your way at the time, but you’re also completely content where you’re at. As a result, you’re not giving into your own complaints or self-induced annoyances.
The idea of patience is wonderful, however, it’s nearly impossible to live out this virtue because of our age of instant gratification and, consequently, a growing impatience.
Though, I will say that anything is possible through Jesus Christ who gives us strength. Patience might be a far off idea to some, but for God’s children, patience is exceedingly attainable. One must simply work at it and dwell in it every single day!
That said, here are some of my favorite bible verses pertaining to the virtue of patience.
Galatians 6:9
“Let us not become weary in doing, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Proverbs 16:32
“Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.”
Isaiah 40:31
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Proverbs 14:29
“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.”
Romans 8: 24-25
“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
Romans 5: 1-5
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
