Don't Get Impatient

July 6, 2006

Patience is a virtue. One we all must learn. Someone who is often impatient shows a selfish and inconsiderate attitude. It says what I want must happen right now and I can't wait. We need to show more gratefulness than that. When we are patient it shows that we are willing to let someone find something they want without nagging or pushing them to leave.

Psalm 25:1-5
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.

Let’s be honest. None of us likes to wait. We live in an impatient society where cell phones, email, text messages provide instant access to people. We want our food instantly; we have drive-thus at fast food restaurants. Waiting is a learned discipline. It doesn’t come naturally to us. If you don’t believe me, just hang out with a baby or a toddler for a while. You will discover that they don’t like to wait. When they are hungry, they want to eat right away. When it comes to playing on the play ground, they must learn that other kids also want to slide down the slide. We want it now, but life doesn’t always give us what we want when we want it.

The psalmist in today’s scripture speaks of waiting for the Lord. In verse 5 he says, “Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.” The waiting that is described here reveals a deeper sense of the word “wait.” The psalmist is lonely, hurting, and has experienced hatred at the hands of others. In his moment of deep despair, he calls upon the Lord to deliver him from his situation. He says, “To you O Lord, I lift up my soul.” In other words, he says that he trusts ultimately in the Lord. His life depends completely on God. With this declaration, he waits for God’s deliverance.

You and I are not all that different from the psalmist in today’s scripture. All of us at one time or another has experienced difficult times in our lives. Trials and hurting are an inevitable part of the human experience. Our faith in God does not remove this cup from us, but rather offers a way for us to respond. God has promised us that He will never leave or forsake us, even at our darkest hour. We must lift up our souls to the Lord and turn our lives in total dependence on God. God will bring us through, but we must learn to wait with patience.

For more information

Rev. Leigh Martin
College Chaplain
Hasty Student Life Center, Room 308
lsm@reinhardt.edu
O: 770.720.5634
F:  770.720.9105