Patience and Real Life

I am unsure if impatience is technically a sin.  Probably the idea of it is not, but the behavior associated with it is.  Regardless, Murray speaks to this subject in his day 11 devotional.  Using Psalm 37:7,9 he teaches that patience is an important part of Christian character.

It is interesting to think back on some of my mentors. Most, but not all, men in ministry have been patient. Most, but not all, leaders in my military career were impatient.  Why the difference? Because there are expectations of behavior in both cultures; and in the ministry time is a greater luxury. Also, in ministry we are dealing with real life; where patience is needed and dependence upon God a necessity. The military is not necessarily real life, but only the mission at hand; and dependence upon each other is the expectation; not dependence upon God.

I do like Murray's words where he writes, "All the exercises of the spiritual life, our reading and praying, our willing and doing, have their very great value. But they can go no farther than this, that they point the way and prepare us in humility to look to and to depend alone upon God Himself, and in patience to wait His good time and mercy. The waiting is to teach us our absolute dependence upon God’s mighty working, and to make us in perfect patience place ourselves at His disposal. They that wait on the Lord shall inherit the land; the promised land and its blessing. The heirs must wait; they can afford to wait."

In other fields, like that of the military, we do not seek to be dependent upon God. But in real life we ultimately have only that. Real life is too big for us to fully depend on each other.  We need a savior, and that savior is The Lord. And, since we have such a savior, then it a blessing to wait patiently on Him, because when He provides it will be worth the wait.

You can read Murray's devotional by clicking here.

-Mark