‘Being cheerful keeps you healthy.’ Proverbs 17:22 GNT
Here are two more things you need to do in order to develop patience:
1) Develop a sense of humour. The Bible says, ‘A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life’ (Proverbs 14:30 TLB). Scientific studies reveal that people who laugh, live longer. Humour is a stress dissolver. It’s an antidote to apprehension. It’s a tranquiliser without any troubling side effects. It’s a shock absorber for the potholes of life. Someone once asked President Abraham Lincoln how he handled the tensions of the Civil War. He said, ‘If it hadn’t been for laughter, I could not have made it.’ When you can laugh at it, you can live with it. And besides, if you learn to laugh at your problems, you will never run out of anything to laugh at!
2) Deepen your love. Paul writes, ‘Love is very patient’ (1 Corinthians 13:4 TLB). That means when you are impatient, you are being unloving. When you love someone, you’re concerned about that person’s wishes, distresses, needs, and point of view – not just your own. When you are filled with love, almost nothing can provoke you to anger or impatience. On the other hand, when you are filled with anger, almost anything can provoke you. Under pressure, whatever is inside you is going to come out. So, deepen your love. ‘Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love’ (Ephesians 4:2 TLB).
And one more thought: when you learn to love the people who irritate you, you take a weapon out of Satan’s hands that he can use against you. Today pray, ‘Lord, make me a more patient person.’
Here are ten ways to develop patience, along with corresponding Bible verses:
1. Seek God’s Guidance:
“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14)
2. Trust in God’s Timing:
“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3)
3. Pray for Patience:
“And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:4)
4. Meditate on God’s Word:
“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word, I hope.” (Psalm 130:5)
5. Cultivate Humility:
“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)
6. Practice Self-Control:
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” (Proverbs 25:28)
7. Learn from Jesus’ Example:
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)
8. Count Your Blessings:
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
9. Lean on God’s Strength:
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
10. Encourage Others:
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Remember, developing patience is a lifelong journey, and with God’s help and guidance, you can grow in this virtue.
