Calmly Enduring (Patience)
You know what they say about patience—“watch out if you
pray for patience, because then you’ll end up with lots of opportunities to
need it.”
I have really needed patience in the past few days. And
it’s not because I had prayed for it recently. The need for it just came.
Matter of fact, I was lambasted with a need for patience.
My 1941 dictionary defines the noun, patience, as “the quality of being patient or calmly enduring.” *
Google’s online dictionary adds, to “suffer without getting angry or upset.”
Also, a patient person is described as someone who
“suffers pain, hardship, affliction, insult, etc., with calmness and
equanimity; persevering; forbearing; waiting with calmness.” *
That word, equanimity, is interesting. It’s described as
levelheadedness, mental calmness, and composure, especially in a difficult
situation.
I can say that, yes, I suffered emotional pain,
affliction, and insult at the hands of another person and it was deliberate.
The part about “calmness and equanimity,” I didn’t do so well. I think I would
give myself a C-. I didn’t scream and holler or say something to the person I’d
later regret (and hopefully I won’t), but I didn’t maintain mental composure
either.
I told our son, “Right now, I’m working on forgiveness.”
He said, “That’s really tough when you’re still in the
middle of the situation.”
How true. When a negative, hurtful situation is ongoing
and we know we need to forgive—that we’re called to forgive—nobody said it
would be easy.
But God has not left us without help for difficult life
situations that involve difficult people. We, who are followers of Jesus, have
His very Spirit residing inside us. He’s there to guide us through dark places.
We have the power of prayer to help lift us out of the
snares of anger and unforgiveness. I continue in prayer for the other person as
well as for myself. The thought, “but I
deserve to be mad and I want to be mad,” must be worked through. It’s a
process. God knows our thoughts and He knows our hearts. Kind thoughts and a
pure heart are not automatic human responses—well, at least not for me. That’s
why His mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:23) and His grace is
sufficient in all situations (2 Corinthians 12:9). Thank You, Lord!
Each morning, I post a prayer for children on my social
media. On this particular day, the prayer (written months in advance) was for patience and read: “Lord, help my
children learn to patiently wait on You, knowing You readily hear their heart
cries” (Psalm 40:1).
After praying that prayer for my family, I turned to
Psalm 40 in my Bible and read the whole thing. I was reminded that reading and
studying God’s Word is another help God has given to help us navigate
tribulations. This Psalm, written by David, is subtitled, “Faith Persevering in
Trial.”
After reading the entire psalm, I was encouraged and reassured
that God sees and knows every minuscule detail of all our lives. I realize I
need to allow my Creator to enter into my hurt and anger-filled situation and
help me handle it His way. When I step back, He steps in.
David certainly knew about trials and conflicts. Here is
part of what he wrote:
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me,
and heard my cry.
“He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the
miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.
“He has put a new song in my mouth— praise to our God;
many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.
“Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, and
does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
“Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works which You
have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if
I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered” (Psalm
40:1-5).
As we travel through dealings with difficult situations
and difficult emotions, lets allow God’s ways to enter in and be our light and
guide.
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| Prayer for Children - Connie Wohlford |
His indwelling Spirit, our privilege of prayer, and His
Word are provided for our benefit to help us live life in abundance. Our role
is to do our part in relying on them.
Another blessing from God in hard times is the counsel of
godly people. Family, friends, small groups, and minister professionals are
gifts from God who help as sounding boards, encouragers, and prayer partners.
I’m grateful to my Creator for His provision in all things. Philippians 4:19 says, “And
my God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ
Jesus” (NKJV).
We usually think of this passage in relation to physical
needs like food, clothing, and shelter. But it’s much more. His provision of
unfailing love, amazing grace, unrelenting mercy, and unfathomable peace are
provided for us in the here and now and will be intensified beyond our
imaginations in God’s Eternal Kingdom. Glory be to God!
How do you handle these kinds of situations? Your comments are welcome.
©Copyright
2019 Connie Wohlford
*National Dictionary - 1941 Edition; P.F. Collier and Son Corporation, New York
