“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” Jer 29:11
St. Augustine of Hippo once said that ‘Patience is the companion of wisdom’. In other words, the spiritually wise are always patient people. Learning this truth has been a lifelong experience for me. Looking back now, I can only exclaim ‘Boy! was I in a hurry or what?’ I had my life perfectly mapped out. I knew what I wanted to do, what I needed to do, and how I had to get there and I also knew that I wanted to get there as quickly as possible. I had just one life to live and I was determined to make it count by cramming as much achievement as I could manage into it. Now that I am older, I hope that I am also wiser because I have since learnt that God’s ways are totally different from and infinitely better than our own limited and limiting ways.
Understanding and accepting the fact that cultivating the fruit of patience is inevitable has greatly helped me to cope with the unexpected changes in plan as well as the stomach-churning twists and turns that God’s plan had benevolently imposed on me. Before, I understood what God was doing to and in me, I used to wonder what I had done wrong to deserve the difficult hand that life had dealt me. I even asked for God’s forgiveness in case I had unknowingly committed the sin of omission that God was punishing me for. I now understand that that is not the case and that God was doing something significant in my life that would lead to greater spiritual productivity, a fulfilled life as well as a wonderful legacy.
Are there temptations to quit waiting on God and take matters into my own hands? Certainly. Are there pressures to turn my back on what I know not just to be right, but actually is the only way? You bet. Nevertheless, I have crossed the Rubicon in my commitment to see God move in my life the way He said He would. There is no going back. All I have to do is wait and wait some more. I have decided to wait happy, with His praises ensuing from my lips as praise soaks my life. The way I see it, God’s promise is like a fertile egg. You can either make scrambled egg of it or patiently incubate it until it hatches into a sprightly chick. You eat the former and are left with nothing, while the latter will later produce more eggs for you to do as you wish. It is an investment that takes time. If you want quick but superficial result, there are many ways to realise your dream. But, if you desire something significant that will outlast you, you can only get there via the much avoided Patience Avenue.
So, if as St. Augustine alluded patience is the companion of wisdom, then as Proverbs say “With all thy getting get wisdom” for it is the principal thing. The price of getting spiritual wisdom is patience. It takes time but in the end is worth it. Determine today to patiently seek God and you will not only receive strength of character as your reward, but also see the fulfilment of God’s promise to you. You will really mature spiritually and become able to handle the word of truth. Your life will matter because you would have fulfilled His plan for your life.
Prayer:
Lord, before I was conceived you already had a good plan for my life. Help me to fully cooperate with you through patience so that I will not frustrate your plan that is ultimately designed for my benefit in Jesus’ Name. Amen.