Patience

By Jennifer Moreno

The saying ‘patience is a virtue’ couldn’t be more spot on. Most of us can say we’re pretty impatient and we wants things done now. But that instant gratification isn’t always going to fulfill what we need in our lives. In this world we live in, patience is a rarity. If you take a look at your surroundings, all you see is people searching for the ‘next big thing,’ when is that next iphone coming out, when am I going to get the man of my dreams, when am I going to be at the top, when will I make that kind of salary at work. We’re never content where we are at, nor are we grateful for what we have. I’m not saying we’re supposed to be people of conformity, but instead we should be patient to wait for those things to come in their due time.

When we don’t wait patiently for the things that G-d has in store for us, we make mistakes, sometimes mistakes that will bear us consequences for a lifetime. That consequence can affect us psychologically, physically or emotionally and G-d wants to prevent us from suffering.

Let’s take a look at the story of Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Sarah (originally named Sarai) was one of several women in the Bible who were unable to have children. Of course she was distressed because G-d had promised her husband that he would be the father of the Jewish nation, with descendants more numerous than the stars in the sky.

Imagine the pressure she felt. Sarah waited and waited many years and she wasn’t getting any younger. So what did she do? Sarah convinced Abraham to sleep with her handmaiden, Hagar, to produce an heir. That was an accepted practice in ancient times.

The child born out of that encounter was name Ishmael. But G-d didn’t forget his promise to Abraham and he once again reminded his promise to them through three heavenly beings, disguised as travelers.

Even though Sarah was very old, she did conceive and delivered a son. They named him Isaac. The plan was basically Isaac would father Esau and Jacob. Jacob would father 12 sons who would become heads of the 12 tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah would then come David and then Jesus of Nazareth — G-d’s promised savior.

Coming back to Sarah’s impatience, we see that Sarah doubted G-d. Instead of waiting with faith, she plunged ahead with her own solution. Sarah was looking at G-d’s promise from her limited, human perspective.

I can understand Sarah’s feeling, she had totally given up the hope of ever seeing her dream of motherhood fulfilled. Sometimes waiting for G-d to act in our lives may be the toughest thing we have to face. We’re afraid G-d isn’t going to meet our expectations and we’re quick to take matters into our own hands.

Sarah’s life teaches us that when we feel doubtful or afraid, we should remember what God said to Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14, NIV)

Yes, waiting isn’t fun, but trust that G-d has a better purpose for your life. He will bring you out of that situation you think has no end, He will change your circumstances. Sometimes G-d doesn’t change specific situations to allow us to grow in character. He’s more interested in you growing than making your comfortable.

How can G-d bless us with more if we’re not happy with what we have now? Think about it.

No one ever said being patient was easy, but let this story remind us all that a time of waiting may be G-d’s precise plan for us.

Isaiah 40:31 says – “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”