Patience

Patience -the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

James 5:7-12

What to do while you are waiting?

Pray

Listen

Prepare

Warning against trying to rush God’s patience?

300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon The Patience of Archbishop Leighton (Matthew 5:5; Ephesians 4:26)

With a gentle temper, and a quiet spirit, and grace to keep you this way, you will be inheriting the earth under any circumstances. If trouble should come, you will bow to it as the willow bows to the wind and so escapes the injury that falls on sturdier trees. If there should come little vexations, you will not allow yourself to be vexed by them but will say, “With a little patience, they will all pass away.”

I think I never admired Archbishop Leighton more than when I read a certain incident that is recorded in his life. He lived in a small house in Scotland, and had only a manservant beside himself in the house. John, the manservant, was very forgetful. One morning, when he got up before his master, he thought he would like to have a day’s fishing, so he went off and locked his master in. He fished until late in the evening, forgot all about his master, and when he came back, what do you think the bishop said to him? He simply said, “John, if you go out for a day’s fishing another time, kindly leave me the key.” He had had a happy day of prayer and study all by himself.

If it had been some of us, we would have been fuming, and fretting, and working up a nice lecture for John when he came back. And he richly deserved it, but I do not suppose it was worthwhile for the good man to put himself out about him.

God is patient with us so we should be patient with him.