Waiting Patiently: The Unwanted Answer

Introduction and Review

I promised a few weeks ago to expand on some of the lessons about waiting that I have collected from the Bible. I probably made it sound like I was going to do so the very next week, but I’m not quite organized enough for that. It sufficed, in my mind, that I would write that post at an opportune time. Well, recuperating amongst loved ones in gorgeous Colorado while it snows and blusters makes for just such a time.  

As a reminder, the previous post listed the following lessons:

• Wait Patiently
• Wait Productively
• Wait Faithfully
• Wait Thankfully
• Wait Eagerly

As I began collecting the scriptures and stories that cauterized these ideas in my life, I finally realized what I’d undertaken. There are so many scriptures, so many tiny pieces that form the whole, that unpackaging all of it may well be impossible for an author of my skill level. In the interest of making this readable, applicable, and accurate, I am paring down and taking this point by point. So…

Waiting Patiently

This, of course, is the first answer people jump to when they think of waiting as a problem. “Be patient”, they say, “Patience is a virtue”, they site, then follow up with “the early bird catches the worm” without a hint of irony in their countenance. Yet there are verses in the Bible which say, in a sense, “Be patient”, such as 1 Timothy 6:11 and Galatians 5:22, without necessarily explaining how to do it or what it looks like in application.

“Patience” in Trials

To make matters worse, if you look up something simplistic like “Verses about patience in the Bible”, it will become immediately apparent to the critical mind that there are, in fact, several distinct definitions of the word patience. A fair number of verses about patience from the New Testament are specifically instructing Christians experiencing persecution to simply hang on till the storm blows over or their savior comes for them. One such verse is Romans 12:12, where it says,

“rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer[1].” 

Hebrews is a book all about holding on to our faith in troubled times, and says in a certain place

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” 
And “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,” 
And later, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” 
And again, “For consider Him [Jesus] who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” 

Shortly thereafter, James says in his introductory paragraph,

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

“Patience” with People

Then there are quite a few more that instruct us to be patient with people, especially with fellow Christians, which mostly involves not acting on temporal emotions, if you take Ephesians and certain Proverbs together into consideration. Paul encourages Timothy in his final letter,

“Preach the word! Be ready in and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering, and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…[2]” 

In Thessalonians he says,

“We urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now, we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.[3]” 

In Colossians 3:12-14 he says,

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”  

In 1 Peter is says,

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them [your wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.[4]” 

This is a particularly interesting verse, as it can be understood as a command followed by three descriptions of what that looks like and, finally, one consequence of disobedience. But, assuredly, my definition of this kind of patience comes from verses like the following:

Proverbs 11:12 “He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his peace.”

Proverbs 15:1a “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Proverbs 19:11 “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.”

Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from trouble.”

Ephesians 4:25-32 “Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

“Patience” towards God

Finally, there are verses which do specifically mean waiting for something good, for future salvation, or for God’s action and timing. For example, Galatians 6:9 says,

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” 

Jesus said,

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 
So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 
Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matt 6:25-34).” 

Paul says to the Philippians (4:6),

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 

This one, in particular, had me perplexed for a long time. A wise pastor lead me to the corresponding answer in these verses:

“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters [says David, who was the renowned king of Israel], nor with things too profound for me. Surely, I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord, from this time forth and forever (Psalm 131:1-3).”

Taken together, the only thing you can really say about patience is that it’s the practice of becoming immovable, of standing still and not acting impulsively. Such was my conclusion, anyway, when I started looking for verses to help with the waiting, and I didn’t find this answer near so comforting as I’d hoped. But that was because I was in a state of mind that demanded comfort, not instruction. Put another way, this is what the Bible taught me: Patience isn’t some magical ability to enjoy a trial, or be unperturbed by waiting or disappointment. Patience is a choice to stand firm and cling to what you know for sure, so that you aren’t blown about and destroyed by all the things that hurt and you don’t know for sure.

As for the other points, I’ll get there when I get there. God bless you and give you patience until then.

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[1] This, and all the following verses, are from the New King James Version (NKJV), copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

[2] 2 Timothy 4:2-3a

[3] 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14

[4] 1 Peter 3:7. I think some people get a little anxious over this verse because in these “modern” times it’s liable to wound some egos, but in modern English Peter is basically saying “Give your wife the same consideration you would a package wrapped with the label, “Fragile”.” In other words, be gentle, as it literally says in another place.