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Patience Makes Perfect
Patience is something I am grateful God gives to me, hopeful others have it for me, and doubtful I give it to others as quickly as I receive. That is why God has slowly been stirring in me the truth that every time I wait for Him to work in others, in myself, and in any situation, I will have a better, more perfect result.

October 2014


When I first got married, I couldn’t make a fried egg for the life of me. Any time I tried, the egg would end up scrambled. The reason? I was too impatient. I never gave the heat from the stove a chance to do its job. I trusted my idea of when it should be done—rather than the reality of when it was done—and as a result, I’d mess up the final product.

This tendency to rush cooking infiltrated other recipes in my kitchen. My pancakes would wind up a mess because I’d flip them before the bottom side was fully cooked; hamburgers, fish, and steak would stick to the bottom of the pan because I again tried to flip them too soon; and my grilled cheese was never cooked all the way through. Have you ever bitten into a grilled cheese sandwich when the cheese is not fully melted? Yuck.

As time passed, I learned more about cooking from the Food Network. Now I know that if I want to have a golden brown grilled cheese, a beautiful fried egg, or a perfectly seared steak, I have to put the food on the heat and leave it alone. I have to let the power of the heat transform the food into the product I desire. If I avoid patience and apply my own timing to the situation, I’ll wind up with an ugly, uncooked, scrambled mess.

Although patience feels passive—particularly when you are hungry, standing there waiting for your food to cook—patience is powerful. James 1:4 says,
“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Patience gives the right power source a chance to be active.

Patience is something I am grateful God gives to me, hopeful others have it for me, and doubtful I give it to others as quickly as I receive. That is why God has slowly been stirring in me the truth that every time I wait for Him to work in others, in myself, and in any situation, I will have a better, more perfect result.

WAITING FOR WORDS
I was bombarded with the need for patience three weeks into 2014. My son Brayden had just turned two and still didn't talk well. He made noises all the time, but only knew the words “Mommy,” “Daddy,” and “car.”

At his two-year checkup, the doctor asked about his speech development. I responded with the truth, and she proceeded to say, "Well, at age two, he should have a bit of a vocabulary and also be able to put two words together; you should probably take him to a speech therapist and make sure nothing is wrong with him."

I was overwhelmed. The rest of my life was already so crowded with things to do—Brayden’s four-day-old brother, Jase, was at the top of the list—so I brought this issue to the Lord. The doctor had said I should call within two weeks for the speech therapist if I didn’t see any improvement, so I prayed, "Lord, could you please help Brayden talk in these next two weeks? I don't think I can handle calling to make an appointment and walking through anything else. Thank you."

Within the next 24 hours, I talked to my husband, my parents, and my in-laws—who all talked to their friends and family. All of them said the same thing: Be patient. The words will come in time. It’s okay he isn’t talking yet.

I heard them, but patiently waiting for someone else to do something is very difficult because it is completely out of your control. You can pray, you can trust God is working in them, and you can support them, but you can’t force another person to change.

PATIENCE PAYS OFF
During those next two weeks, I watched the beginning of my mini-miracle. Although I know it was normal for Brayden to learn to talk, because I had been concerned about it and I had prayed for a response, it became an answer to prayer as I watched Brayden slowly start adding words to his vocabulary.

Seeing the progress, I postponed calling the doctor.

Days, then weeks, passed. Brayden took the slow and steady climb up the mountain of talking and by the time he reached two and a half, he was talking up a storm without the help of a doctor. Now, 10 months later, I can’t get him to be quiet!

It wasn’t easy waiting, but that was exactly what God needed me to do. He needed me to patiently wait for Brayden to talk, partially so I didn’t have to worry about making an appointment with another doctor, but mainly because Brayden just needed more time.

OTHER PEOPLE
God wants us to be patient as He works in us, and even more than that, patient as He works in other people. Not everyone will respond to God as quickly as you might or as quickly as you wish they would. Remember, though, that when you’re waiting, you’re giving God’s power a chance to perfect His will in that other person.

So now, any time I think, Goodness, I wish this would happen or Why can’t they just make a decision, I do my best to remember that they are a work-in-progress just like me. Although I can’t see what is happening, God is working behind the scenes to bring them to Christ, to alter the situation, to draw that person closer to Him, to show them—and to show you—His love.

Until that happens, I’ll be here patiently waiting.

THANK YOU
As I continue to watch Brayden develop his vocabulary, I can't help but imagine how God our Father looks down and observes our spiritual development. Thank God He is patient with us!

He has given us His Word, the Holy Spirit, and many other resources to help us grow and strengthen our faith walk. And I believe cfaith is one of the best spiritual resources out there—with thousands of articles, daily devotionals, media teachings, and ad-free email services—available 24/7 for you and your family to enjoy.

We could not have established this powerful collection of faith-building resources without your help. Thank you for your ongoing support of this ministry. It is reaching people and helping them develop more spiritual maturity every day.


Until next time, let's strive to perfect our patience together.


Laura Wegener
cfaith contributing writer


Author Biography

Laura Wegener
Web site: Laura Wegener
 
Beyond writing, Laura Wegener loves spending time with her family, reading, and helping out at church.
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The online ministry of cfaith has been helping people discover faith, friends and freedom in the Word since 2000. Cfaith provides a unique and comprehensive collection of faith-building resources for the worldwide faith community.

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