The Cure for Impatience

Have you ever noticed that when you got to the Doctors now you are often sent home with a print of our your condition – what the symptoms are, what the diagnosis is and what the steps towards healing are? These fact sheets can be very helpful, especially for someone like who has a hard time relaying what the Dr said.

I was recently reminded – several times actually – of my severe and acute lack of patience. I think if the Doctor were to give me a info sheet on it, it’d perhaps look something like this...

Problem
Patience: The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.”

The Symptoms
Irrational, quick to frustrate, often leaders to anger and inflated sense of importance. This disease seems to affect everything and everyone the patient is around.

Diagnostic questions?

• Is it because you are being immature? (Hebrews 5:14)
• Is it my selfishness and lack of grace? (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15)
• Is it because you just can’t wait for something great? (James 5:8-9)
• Is it because I am materially motivated? (Col 3:1&2)
• Is it because I haven’t learned to be content? (Phil 4:11)
• Is it because I am insensitive to God’s attempts to make my life better? (James 1:2-4)
• Is it because I see an injustice that seems unfair? (Matt 21:12-13)

The Prescription – Psalm 40

• Understand that God responds to our patience (vs1)-  It gets us through precarious places and stabilizes things (vs2) So wait.
• Patience is the often the only way to experience deep joy (3 &4) · Therefore, trust is the foundation of patience. Patience and truth breed humility (vs4) So trust.
• Only in God’s strength and power can we succeed. (vs 5-8) Therefore we put God’s agenda first (vs8) So expect.