Daily stresses test patience. I’m driving to work. Don’t have even one minute to spare. But an accident somewhere ahead has slowed traffic to a crawl. Or I’m taking my child to school, and this morning she’ll actually have time to walk into the building instead of sprinting to beat the bell. Then, halfway there, she remembers that her math project is still on the kitchen table. Or I’m learning by experience why the doctor’s office calls its lobby “the waiting room.” Everyone is called back, even the guy who signed in 45 minutes after I did. But I’m still waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
Although daily hassles tempt us to be irritable, an impatient response to stress is by no means inevitable. The Bible says to put on “compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience” (Col. 3:12). Would God command us to be patient with others if obedience were impossible?
The following observations may encourage us to be calmer in tense situations. First, impatience brings no benefit. Getting upset in the doctor’s office in no way shortens the waiting time. Impatience makes the wait seem even longer. Furthermore, impatience is unloving. The Bible says that “love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable” (1 Cor. 13:4-5). The victims of the accident delaying the morning commute are distressed by concerns far more troubling than tardiness to work. Finally, impatience disregards personal shortcomings. Maybe our little student forgot her homework, but shouldn’t we extend the grace to her that we expect to receive from God when we forget to pray, read the Bible, or visit a sick neighbor?