My Feeble Defense of Impatience

We all know the old adage, “Patience is a virtue.”  With that in mind, according to my better half, I am not a virtuous man.  In fact, she has told me straight out that she doesn’t know ANYONE as impatient as I am.  The fact that she loves me anyway is apparently a testament to her grace and not my patience.  So do I have any defense?  Is it OK to become impatient when standing in line at the grocery or sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic?  Doesn’t the Bible say, “See then that you walk…not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time…”  (Ephesians 5:15-16)  That’s why I get so impatient at times – I’m “redeeming the time” while the “fools” in front of me are wanting to waste it!

I could make the argument that the word “patience” in Scripture is simply a choice of translation.  The word can also be translated “persistent”, or “enduring”, or “steadfast”, or perhaps the most accurate, “long-suffering”.  You see, this virtue that qualifies as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 is more than the momentary subduing of my angst at being delayed in my efforts to squeeze productivity out of every moment in the day.  Patience, or long-suffering, isn’t a quality that is subject to instant determination.  It is a virtue that has a time component to verify its presence (or absence).  We don’t determine the presence of “love” or “loyalty” or “endurance” in an instant.  Neither should we pass judgment regarding “patience” so quickly.

Look around you for examples of people who have faced tough, drawn-out difficulties in their lives – those who have faced cancer, or debilitating injury or disease, or tragic permanent loss.  There you will find the evidence for patience or long-suffering.  Those who have lived out the words of James:

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.  (James 1:2-4)

When life puts us to the test, how do we handle it?  By leaning, as the old hymn says, on the “Everlasting Arms” of Christ.  Without faith it might be tough to see the end of our journey.  We might be inclined to doubt that life is worth continuing.  But WITH faith in our loving, providential God, we know He holds our future and offers the strength to “endure”, to “persist”, to be “steadfast” in our journey to glorify Him in our lives.  THAT is what we should call patience.

Should I do better when confronted by time-wasting circumstances?  Might I more reasonably tolerate inefficient activity all around me?  Well, I admit I should.  And I’m not sure what to call my frustration other than impatience, though that implies I lack the persistence and endurance to suffer long if that is what God wills.  Though since I’ve never been faced with what so many of you have, the jury is still out for me regarding patience.  So for now, let’s label me an “inefficient time defender”.  It sounds much more exotic than “impatient Christian”.  And isn’t that an oxymoron?

Still in the process of perfecting,

Jacob