Discover The Power Of Patience In The Bible & Use It To Transform Your Life
I remember being so annoyed that when someone told me, “You have to have patience,” I replied, “I have none.” I can imagine God doing a palm-to-the-forehead movement when I said this. Because what I said was far from the truth.
In our culture of instant gratification where we get Amazon deliveries in 48 hours and technology has everything at the tips of our fingers, patience is a virtue that can waver.
Our hustle and fast-moving culture instills a sense of urgency that can be anxiety-provoking. This has left many feeling “left behind,” forgotten, and unworthy.
But, these are not God’s ways. He’s in the stillness and the peace of it all. Reading about Him throughout the Bible and getting to know His character, we find He’s never in a rush.
He wasn’t in a rush when He created the earth and mankind. And He was never in a rush to punish, always giving opportunities for repentance.
I know sometimes, we may think God is “slow.” But in reality, He’s not. It’s us who are impatient and naive to the things that He understands and we cannot comprehend.
Thus, God’s timeline is very different from the world’s and He wants us to trust it—to trust Him. This will require one of the fruits of the spirit—patience. We are called to have patience with Him, ourselves, and each other.
If you think this will be a task, I have great news for you.
Just like any of the spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit, the gift of patience is already inside of you if you’ve received Him into your heart. It may not be evident at times based on your emotional state, but it’s there.
Remember, we are not ruled by our flesh (anger, malice), but by the Spirit of God that dwells on the inside of us.
So in this article, I want to share with you what God taught me about the power of patience and provide a better understanding of its importance in your walk with Christ.
Definition of patience in the Bible
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3
God calls us to be patient with each other and patient in affliction. We know it’s one of God’s attributes and a gift He’s given us through the Holy Spirit. But, what exactly does it mean to be patient from a biblical perspective?
I would often equate patience with waiting, which I admit I strongly disliked. But, it’s more than that. It’s not sitting on your hands expecting something to happen or come forth.
Biblical patience means persevering through trials and circumstances with unrelenting faith and obedience.
Patience is also about grace. As God is patient with us and gives us grace, we are to emulate that and do the same to others and ourselves.
Biblical patience goes against everything about the flesh and embodies the Spirit of God. This is why it’s a potent weapon in our fight against the enemy and his attacks. This is also why your development of the gift of patience is important to God.
Stories of patience in the Bible
The Bible will always be a guiding light of instruction and wisdom for any problem that we face here on Earth. It is no different for those of us struggling with patience.
Here are a few stories that exemplify the importance of patience and perseverance.
Abraham
Abraham was a man who demonstrated the power of patience from the Bible. God called him out of his home with the promise of giving him a new one in foreign lands. God’s promise went further when He also declared that Abraham would be the father of a great nation.
However, the journey was not easy and was filled with obstacles. Abraham lived as a stranger in foreign lands and battled infertility with his wife. God had promised that his offspring would be as many as the stars in the sky, but they couldn’t bear one child.
Even with time passing and his body aging, Abraham held out hope of God’s promises. He held on to his faith.
Long story short, we see that through his patience with faith and obedience, he did become the father of a great nation and an ancestor to the Messiah, Jesus.
Hannah
Hannah’s story in the Bible is also a great example of the fruit of spirit patience. Hannah was married to a man who loved and cared for her. Only one problem, they also battled infertility.
Hannah’s husband had a second wife, Penninah, who gave him many children. In her jealousy, she picked on Hannah. This went on for years.
Despite her pain, Hannah showed great faith and perseverance through her trials (aka biblical patience).
Hannah did not lash out or seek vengeance. She dried her tears and took her concerns to God. God honored Hannah. As we continue to read her story, we find out the reason for her wait.
God was looking for a prophet who would faithfully serve him. He used Hannah to bring about that prophet in His perfect timing.
Hannah’s firstborn son was Samuel. God chose him to be His prophet, warrior, last judge, and the man to guide the first kings of Israel. Hannah would go on to have other children as the Lord honored her perseverance, faith and biblical patience.
David
David is also a great example of a biblical character who exercised the spiritual gift of patience and reaped the power that came from it.
David was anointed by God through Samuel to be the next king of Israel at the age of 15. However, he wouldn’t ascend the throne until the age of thirty. So what happened in the meantime?
After Samuel anointed David, He went back to the fields to shepherd his father’s flock. He would later move on to serve under the current king.
David could’ve thought, “But God, you told me I would be king, not that I would serve him.”
But what if David had taken the throne before he was ready? How disastrous would that have been for him and the people he was to lead? It took God 15 years to shape David into the warrior king that He was.
When he went back to the fields to shepherd the flock, he was learning to care for (I.e. shepherd) God’s people. When he fought lions and bears protecting the sheep, it prepared him for his fight against Goliath. This was his first act of protecting God’s sheep (God’s people).
David’s faith and obedience to God is what made him a great king. And it all started with Him willing to be patient and allow God to do the work within Him.
Joseph
As we examine Joseph’s story starting in Genesis 37, we see another example of biblical patience learned and displayed.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his envious brothers. Given the situation, anger and bitterness could’ve taken root. He could’ve used the time to plan his escape. But, he didn’t.
Given that Joseph’s heart was not consumed by anger or bitterness and was willing to serve, God blessed everything that Joseph did. Potiphar, his master, recognized this and placed Joseph in charge of his household.
And even when he was falsely accused and thrown in jail, Joesph still did not lash out. He waited on God and continued to use his God-given gifts right where he was. Later on, God would use those same gifts as a doorway to elevate him to be second in command of Egypt.
And when those same brothers unknowingly approached him to purchase food during a severe famine, he treated them with a kindness and love that was not shown to him.
This is the power of patience in the Bible. A man who had every reason to operate in the flesh, but chose to trust, wait on, and continue to follow God instead.
What are the spiritual benefits of patience?
Here are a few benefits of the fruit of patience for the modern-day Christian.
Biblical patience teaches you resilience
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9
I used to dislike doing things “I wasn’t good at.” God made me do them anyway.
What my recovering perfectionist personality didn’t want to come to terms with was the fact that you may have to look crazy, awkward or naive for a season of your training.
But, if you keep at it and don’t give up, you will reach your best. Your best can change someone’s perspective, shift the character of their heart, and point them to Jesus.
And all it took was for you to be patient (in faith and obedience despite the circumstances) as God molds your heart and help you to build your spiritual muscles.
Biblical patience teaches you how to actively wait on God’s perfect timing.
Most of us hate waiting in some regard. From long lines at the grocery stores to the arrival of your God-given spouse, waiting can be irritating, painful, and just hard.
But, in actuality, there is beauty in the wait. That time of wait is precious in the eyes of God. It could be the spiritual season of winter where it’s just you and God. For others, it may be the spiritual season of Spring where what you’ve sown has grown roots, but hasn’t made its appearance above ground yet.
It’s during this time that He’s showing you things you may not have realized before…things about others, yourself, and the world around you.
Trust Him in the wait. As we can see from the examples above, it’s for a reason. And what you do in the time in between matters.
Patience helps you to control your emotions.
Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32
If you want to go on the rollercoaster ride of your life, allow your emotions to lead you.
Anger will take you to deep, dark places and bitterness will keep you there. Anxiety can take you to the highest mountain tops only for you to fall as fast as lightning.
Your emotions change like the shifting of the wind. But, God doesn’t.
He’s a constant and ever-present help in the face of adversity. This is why David called Him his rock and fortress.
He’s also yours. He will teach you how to unleash the gift of patience that lies on the inside of you via the Holy Spirit. His love and guidance will show you the way to faith and obedience.
Patience helps you to receive God’s blessings.
Developing patience can be hard. But once you start exercising your muscles of persistence, faith, and obedience, the race becomes easier to run.
As you become more persistent in prayer waiting for God to move, you learn to draw closer to him. As you become persistent in your wait with faith, you learn to trust Him.
This opens the doors for you to receive all that God has stored up for you. Your blessings are in your faith and obedience. Patience is the key to getting you there.
Patience protects you from what you’re not ready for.
I hinted at this with David’s story. Can you imagine if 15 or 20-year-old David had taken the throne without all the preparation God wanted to give him?
We sometimes want what we want and we want it now. But, when God whispers we are not ready, we should trust his “not yet.” I learned this the hard way.
There have been plenty of times that I’ve asked God for something only to want to give it back when I did get it. I didn’t want the challenges that came with it, but was grateful that God prepared me for them.
My message is to trust God’s timing and allow Him to prepare you for that promotion, that marriage, or whatever it is that you’re asking Him for. You will be grateful for the wait.
Final thoughts on the power of patience in the Bible
In this article on the power of patience in the Bible, we have discussed what biblical patience is, examples from the Bible, and the benefits of operating in it.
Developing patience isn’t easy. There will be times when you mess up, but the important thing is to get back on the horse. The goal is progress, not perfection.
I hope this article helps you to see biblical patience as God does and puts you on the path to reaching your highest potential.
Until next time,
-Dr. Jay.
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