Some things test your patience way more than others. When you’re a kid, trying to not peek under the tree at Christmas could be the greatest test of all.
On a much more serious note, as Christians, patience can be one the most difficult virtues to master. On the surface, patience can be understood as just the ability to wait on something. However, there is a lot more to it. Patience can also be the ability to endure hardship or annoyances. Again, it may mean waiting your turn or holding steady. The more you dig, the more you see areas where you might be lacking in patience.
Patience doesn’t usually come naturally to mankind. We want what we want now, especially in the world of highspeed mobile internet, Amazon Prime, YouTube Shorts, and DoorDash. We are used to everything being on demand and catered to our exact preferences.
So, where does a 21st-century Christian get patience from? In James 1, the bondservant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ tells us to “…count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (v. 2-3). In other words, we get patience by having our patience tested, and the key is learning to find happiness in the midst of strife.
We should be happy when we face hardships because we are much more likely to be patient in familiar situations. I got a lot better at waiting at the DMV the more I had to do it. The first few times you go, the wait can be shocking. There are a hundred people cramped into a tiny room while a disembodied voice takes ages to call your number just so you can pay the government to let you drive. But, once you’ve endured it a few times, it becomes easier and easier to get through.
Now, James is talking about something far more serious than waiting in lines. When our faith is tested, all of our weaknesses get exposed. We want what the world offers. We want to fit in. We want to just accept what everyone else believes. Sometimes we lose our patience and give up. But James tells us that giving up means we are missing out. In verse 4, he says, “…But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” What is left to want if we have everything we need?
Whether you like it or not, your patience is going to be tested, and Satan certainly knows how to push your buttons (cf. 1 Pet. 5:8). But if we choose to see these trials as opportunities to grow in faith instead of unending woes, we will overcome them. Just remember who is on our side. James reminds us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (Jas. 1:5).