Patience Week 1

What is patience?

STORY: Starting an exercise routine.

Worldly Concept - delayed gratification.

That’s generally the right idea. But biblical patience adds one CORE component. And it makes all the difference in the world.

Matthew 6:33–34 NIV

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Here’s a good, Biblical definition:

Learning to wait for God to do what He wants when He wants

There’s a few aspects to this.

First - learning to wait

Second - For God

Third - to do what He wants

Fourth - when He wants

One big question coming into this, that sort of shows our assumptions.

What do I do if i’m not getting the answers I want when I want them?

Two problems here: The first is, ‘the answers I want’

If you think about it, the biggest problem to patience isn’t time. (Time flies when you’re having fun).

It’s time between the ask for something you want, and getting something you want.

Remember what we said earlier. ‘Learning to wait for God to do what He wants when He wants’.

When patience is hard, it can often be because we’re having trouble not getting what we want.

That ‘what I want done’ is often very self-centered and self-serving. And there’s nothing wrong with praying for self. (Bible story - persistent widow)

But we understand that too much focus on our will and our way is unhealthy to us spiritually

The solution?

Trust that the Lord still has a plan - you’re just not the center of it

Gen Z has this great phrase - ‘he gives off main character energy’.

We act like the main characters.

Maybe you were waiting for me to say ‘Trust the Lord is going to do what you want’. I can’t say that. Often times - he may not.

What about ‘the lord gives us the desires of our hearts’?

Psalm 37:4 NIV

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

You know what’s a correct way to phrase this? Desire the Lord in your heart, and he’ll give you what you desire in your heart.

The entirety of Psalm 37 is one giant poem about how much we can trust the Lord, no matter what it looks like. So we should be laser focused on delighting in him alone in our hearts.

But what i said above - trust the lord has a plan, and you’re not the center’ - i mean it. You are not the main character of your story.

Galatians 2:20 NIV

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Patience starts with ‘This isn’t about me’.

The second problem - wanting the answers you want WHEN YOU WANT THEM.

The solution?

Trust the Lord knows better than you in the circumstance

STORY - sitting at an intersection in winter. Light goes green - i don’t move. Katherine is impatient. Other car was sliding, only I noticed. He slid through intersection.

2 Peter 3:9 NIV

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Where we think God delays, or doesn’t answer - God thinks, I’m worried about every single person here.

I said earlier we can often be self-centered and self-serving. We have our own goals (better finances, better health, better relationships).

But God says - I have one big goal.

Jesus is working to bring everyone to repentence

Whatever is going on in your life, with your health, your wealth, whatever. None of the temporary holds a candle against eternity. (Gain the whole world, lose your soul?)

Jesus looks at every single life, every single interaction, and says - the most important thing here is that this person learns the truth and has a chance to repent.

Here’s the tough part. Not everyone is going to take that.

Ezekiel 33 talks about God calling Ezekiel as a watchman, to bring the truth to Israel. And God explains - if we bring the message, bring the word, and people don’t change. That’s on them. If we hear the word, and we don’t bring it - that’s on us.

Sometimes I wonder if not as many people get the opporunity intended to give them through us because of how much we steer the focus back onto ourselves.

God wants to work through us, to that next person, to bring them into a saving relationship with Him.

Will you let God do His thing with your life?

General thoughts:

Impatience is about a lack of perspective. We’ve taken our eyes off God, and put them on our circumstances. We get impatient because we think God is not going fast enough. But he’s not demonstrating slowness - he’s demonstrating patience Himself.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Impatience shifts the narrative from others to self. Patience puts self in the right position.

We can build patience by focusing on today.

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Patience isn’t about just waiting. It’s about the mood while we wait.

Two ways to respond to God. Thy will be done, or fine have it your way. We don’t so much have say over the future - but we have say over our feelings in the now.

Proverbs 19:11 “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”

The response to having wisdom is to value patience. If you consider yourself wise - you’d see the value in patience. If you’re not patient - you haven’t learned wisdom yet.

Romans 2:1–4 “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

Patience teaches us - God judges out of truth, I don’t. Leave room for him. He’s working towards repentence and salvation.

Patience is not passivity. It’s about taking initiative from the right angle - the angle of love.

God’s patience is evidence of his goodness. The same standard applies to us!

Matthew 18:21–35 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.””

It’s the second servant’s lack of patience and mercy that condemned him. He wanted what was owed him right then.

The first servant’s debt was forgiven. The king showed more than just patience - he showed goodness.

The king said that the servant should have showed the same mercy he did.

James 5:7–11 “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”

The object we wait for is not the resolution we want out of a situation - it’s the Lord’s return.

We could ‘patiently wait’ until someone pays us back what we owe, or until they apologize, or until we get what we want.

James 1:2–5 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Wisdom pops up again. James basically says - patience / perseverence will make you mature and complete. So if you’re lacking wisdom to bring this patience and perseverence - ask God.

Dynamic between patience/wisdom (i see and understand, and so am willing to wait on the Lord) and impulsiveness/sinfulness (I want what I want right now, so i’m going to act on it)

James 1:19–21 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

The thing we should be impulsive on is listening. Speaking and anger should be one of the last things we turn to.

If we want to ACT fast - start with ourselves. Developing patience is about developing a strong sense of self-management.