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Keep calm and have patience
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Why is Patience a Virtue and What About Faith?

God can do the impossible, in every conceivable situation, but what are we supposed to do while we're waiting?

I put this answer up here because it was something I needed an answer to a while back.  I had questions like:

  • How long should I wait?
  • Why should I wait?
  • Why don't people do this?
  • or Why did they do that?

Patience works 'hand-in-glove' with faith.  Some times I have to keep saying to myself "patience and faith, patience and faith, patience and faith..."

I now see patience as working with God's timing as nothing normally happens instantly.  So, things have to take time and we need to have patience whilst we're waiting.

Another word for patience is endurance, i.e. sticking it out and not throwing in the towel.  Sadly patience doesn't develop overnight, but as Christians, we put our trust in God and pray 'out loud' that he will give us what we need to be patient.

Personally speaking, I need to consciously 'activate' my patience once I know I have done everything I can or need to do prior to mentioning my request, need or desire in prayer, and then leave it to God's timing.

One thing to remember; sometimes we don't get what we want, so you can be as patient as you like, but it still won't happen.  But that's why God gives us discernment and wisdom - so we know what we're doing and what we're waiting for. 

To obtain wisdom, I suggest reading the Wisdom Books in the Bible, which are as follows:

  • Job
  • Psalms
  • Proverbs
  • Ecclesiastes
  • and Song of Songs

It says in the Bible "Faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of God." Romans 10:17  Therefore, when you do read the Bible, speak it out loud whenever you can.

Another description about what faith is, is that it's obedience.  Doing as we're told.  We cannot expect our requests to come to fuition if we're acting outside God's ordinances, His precepts. 

Finally, we are expected to act! We cannot sit back and wait for God to act on our behalf. We are expected to try, to put our best foot forward, to show God that we want to be engaged in our future. When He sees you putting effort into your situation, to execute the wisdom He bestowing on you, things will happen to you.  The next part is to learn from those experiences and you will gradually get closer to your desired goal.

God gave us the Bible, not a USB stick.  The Bible has to be read, therefore God expects us to learn His word and threfore anything else that you might like to do or achieve in the future.  Therefore, you cannot and should not expect an instant 'download' as if you were inserting a USB stick into your head.

We become able or expert by repetition, we learn from reading and doing. God will point us in the right direction, then we have to do our bit.

It takes time and so you just need a little patience - and faith!