What is Patience and how do we find it? (Psalm 37:1-9)

1. What is Patience?

I’m one of the most impatient people I know (but of course I shouldn’t be)! I just want everything to happen here and now ... the big things and the small things. I want all the broken things fixed! I want all the good things in the future fast-tracked!! When do I want it? Now! This of course possibly leads me to unhealthy levels of dissatisfaction with the present; but on the other hand, at least I’m not apathetic (which is far worse than being impatient) ... at least the impatient can be said to at least care about outcomes. But sometimes, perhaps always, this impatience has many problems attached to it. And we, as followers of Jesus, have no choice but to seek to deal with any impatience within us, lest it takes too high a spiritual toll on us.

You know the three most important words when it comes to real estate??? Location, location, location!!! Hudson Taylor famously spoke of the three most indispensible requirements in missionary work ... patience, patience, patience!!! And we are all missionaries (in various ways), so we all need to have a look at this, especially me.

When we read Galatians chapter 5, and the famous bit concerning the fruit of the Holy Spirit that we need to be active in our lives ... there it is ... fourth in the list of nine ... “patience”. Why is “patience” so important???

Without “patience” we can get tied up in knots, try to take undue control of matters, get ahead of ourselves, stuff things up, become ultra-critical of others, and generally become bitter and twisted. We often head for disaster if we try to do things without taking the time to make the necessary preparations. In a spiritual sense, we can’t afford to skip any of the necessary steps through which God seeks to transform our lives and prepare us for the future. Basically, a lack of “patience” undermines our level of trust in God. Or perhaps, an obvious lack of “patience” actually indicates that we need to work on just how much we trust God. If we truly trust God, then we will be prepared to wait for God to answer our prayers, prepare us fully, change circumstances around us, and guide us into the right future. On this point we will need to reflect on our own and other’s past experience of God’s faithfulness. So we read and reflect upon testimonies (like Geraldine’s that was emailed around this week) and draw out greater reasons still for trusting everything to God.

Some might say at this point ... then I’ll just sit and do nothing, be totally passive. Let’s be clear – that is not patience, nor does it resemble “trust” in God. Patience and trust are active attitudes, involving definite proactive decisions.

We could define “patience” as ‘an acceptance of delay’. This is because in a broken world, such that we live in, and the vast complexities of interactive human life, things simply take longer to resolve than we would prefer to be the case. Because God has given all humanity freewill, and then chooses to work through people to bring about change, transformation can be a very slow business.

The Greek word translated “patience” in Galatians has the idea of ‘steadfastness’ (or we might say ‘stick-ability’), and also has the idea of “endurance” (meaning that such an attitude is applied in times of difficulty). “Patience” thus means ‘not giving up’. This word “makrothumia” also contains the idea of “forbearance” – ‘bearing with things’ (in good heart perhaps), and in the context of Galatians 5, this would be more the act of ‘bearing with others’ (and all their quirky behaviour ... as they do things way different to the way we would do them)!

The Oxford dictionary definition of “patience” includes the “calm endurance of pain or of any provocation”!! Thus, we would be patient with others for the sake of maintaining and developing good relationships. We would be patient with difficult circumstances because getting agitated with such challenges will not make them go away or become any easier. We would be patient with ourselves for we are indeed works in progress. The need for “patience” certainly takes us in a certain direction ... a certain heavenly direction.

And I think it may have been such a search for “patience” that took the psalmist in the direction of the words we read in Psalm 37. Patience with circumstances, patience with others, patience with ourselves, requires ... yep ... trust in God.

2. How do we Find Patience??

Going on my own search for “patience” took me to Psalm 37 (specifically verses 1-9), and there are some good answers here. I started with verse 7. We aren’t expected to be patient into an empty vacuum of nothingness. Quite the opposite, real “patience” is a “patience” focussed on God, and God’s ability to bring about God’s own purposes in God’s own time. We will be called to cooperate in God’s purposes in due course, but of course we need to be still and quiet and reflective and observant enough to recognise what God is doing in and around us. Too much noise, too many distractions, and too much worry (about non-essentials) will blind us and deafen us to God’s real activity.

As we read into the second part of verse 7, we see something of the psalmist’s context – a concern about those who are getting ahead, some by oppressing others and doing wrong, and the personal negative impact this might be having. We read here that we should not “fret” or ‘worry’ about such things. One commentator suggested this could be translated, “Do not burn yourself up [about such things]” (Blaiklock p.93).

This is not to say that we shouldn’t be concerned about the significant injustices, abuse and violence in the world. Yet still, rather than worrying, we have the capacity to make positive contributions to alleviating this. This is not to say that we shouldn’t be sensible and self-protective when it comes to certain dangers around us. Yet, rather than worrying, we can instigate certain boundaries that provide some measure of safety (without overdoing it and becoming isolated).

When, though, we reflect on the unfairness of life, often what we really mean is that we (or someone close to us) are missing out on something, especially in comparison to others; and it is never worthy or helpful to “fret” or ‘worry’ over this.

The admonition to not “fret or ‘worry’ appears three times in the first part of this psalm – verses 1, 7 & 8. In verse 1, right at the outset, this is connected with the thought of being envious of those people who have built their lives on doing wrong. They have gained much in this world, yet these are only treasures on earth, of what real value are they! Why would you focus on them, let alone being jealous of them!!

In verse 8, ‘worry’ is connected to “evil” – suggesting that if you are so worried about gaining certain things, this may well lead completely down the wrong path. Even when we are worried about quite reasonable life demands, we would have to admit that worry does not help, cannot add any further days or even hours to our life, and is more than likely to rob us of time and quality of life. So, it seems, worry and impatience go hand-in-hand, and are very negative feelings.

What is the antidote?? I go to my doctor with a big case of worry and impatience, and what prescription will I be given? A double dose of trusting in God!! May even three times a day with a repeat!

We find “patience” as we fully trust in God for the outcomes of life. We try less to manipulate our own outcomes, and try more to follow the Spirit of God’s gentle leading.

3. Dynamics of Trusting God

What are some of the dynamics of trusting God as suggested by Psalm 37??

(a) Doing good (v.3) – trusting God is not just a personal matter, but also a community matter. Trusting God for everything in our lives will lead us to being kind and generous, welcoming and encouraging, to all those around us – in our family, in our church, in our neighbourhoods. This will not just be a positive sentiment, but also a matter of practical activity ... doing good. As we actively commit to loving our neighbour, our level of patience for them (and their quirks) should grow.

>> There seems to be a connection in the second part of verse 3, between doing good, and our own level of personal well-being. Also it could well be that the “good” we do actually contributes to the resolution of what we were being impatient about.

(b) Taking delight in God (v.4) – trusting God is not just a procedural matter, but also a dynamic relationship, which will produce joy and well-being. Trusting God for everything in our lives will draw us into worship and thanksgiving, which will become obvious and public proof that God loves us and we love God. We will not be embarrassed because we are a follower of Jesus – far from it – we will rather wear our allegiance on our sleeve (so to speak), and rejoice that we have found hope, purpose and peace through a relationship with our Creator and Saviour.

>> There seems to be a connection suggested in the second part of verse 4, between our outward thanksgiving, and gaining an answer to our prayers.

(c) Committing your whole journey to God (v.5) – that is, your whole journey ... every part of your life! Career path, relationships & family, social life, church ministry. Time, talents, money. Trusting God is not a ‘sitting on the fence’ type thing, nor a ‘sometimes in sometimes out pick and choose’ type thing. If we trust God it is an ‘all encompassing everything in’ thing!

>> There seems to be a connection suggested in the words that follow, between committing everything of our journey to God, and God’s actions on our behalf in vindicating our cause and revealing our credibility to all around. In other words, if we are fully committed, God will facilitate others in correctly interpreting what we stand for, and giving us our due respect. Half-hearted people, on the other hand, generally draw no respect.

(d) Being still and waiting patiently (v.7) – being still and trusting God is, as the Quaker philosopher Thomas Kelly put it, about having a calm and quiet centre (to our lives) that nothing can disturb. This allows us to take all the bad things (along with the good things) peacefully as they come along. We will refer everything to God and God’s Word, being responsive to the leading of God’s Spirit. We will increasingly sense God’s guidance more clearly, and thereby make better decisions more quickly. God is on the throne of our lives and we await his word patiently. Yet we don’t wait passively, nor withdraw nor abandon responsibility; for we have been called to live as active disciples, and there is much for us to get on with in being daily missionaries of the gospel. Rather our anxious minds concerning the complexities of the task ... are ‘stilled’ in unreserved faith.

>> One very important aspect of all this will be the way we deal with each other in the church community. Even when frustrated or having a contrary view of something, we will be gentle and patient with one another. Otherwise, what have we really got to offer to others outside!?! Nothing much is the answer, because we are actually proving that Jesus doesn’t really work when things are hard.

(e) Refraining from anger and forgetting about getting even (v.8) – getting angry is just part of life, but the Bible teaches that our anger must never take us into sin; meaning we cannot allow our anger to lead us into hurting others (or ourselves) and making situations worse (simply to make us feel better). Trusting God means that we will leave many areas of hurt in God’s hands, and thus not strike back ourselves.

>> Such is the fallen state of humanity, that evil will continue to persist. We will never stand against evil through seeking to avenge certain people’s wrongs, but only by shifting our focus of attention to God, and by following the Jesus who taught us to love our enemies. This liberates us from thinking we have to fix everything and everybody ourselves.

In conclusion, there is a Tim McGraw song entitled “Still”, that tends to calm me down, and thus help increase my level of patience. The chorus goes like this:

“When this road gets crazy
And tries to break me
And I've had all I can stand
I can close my eyes no matter where I am
And just be still”

Then the song finishes as follows:

“There's a place I need to go
Where the stained glass windows glow
[There] Every part of me is known
Thank God I can go there
Thank God I can go there
Still”.