Learning patience
By the Rev. James T. Akers
Friday, March 13, 2009
State Chaplain of The American Legion.
“Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
Do not fret over those who prosper in their way, or
those who carry out evil devices.”
— Psalms 37:7
Aspirin ads often tout the ability of this drug to work faster than any other brand of over the counter pain relief. That’s appealing. For most of us, the question raised by any pain or problem is how quickly can we get rid of it. It’s never easy when we are told to have patience, There are several Biblical passages, in addition to this one from Psalms, that urge patience in the face of various kinds of tribulations and struggles.
But, having patience doesn’t mean doing nothing. It does mean, however, that there may not be a fast way to fix problems. We are never promised a detour around or a shortcut through the tough times of life. But we can be certain that God never lets us down:
“But now thus says the Lord, when you pass through the waters.
I will be with you; and through the rivers. They shall not overwhelm you.”
— Isaiah 43:1-2
God promises always to be with us, not show us a quick way out of difficulty. If we are always hoping for an easy way out, rather than seeking a solution through prayer or meditation, we will not develop our spirituality. The most perplexing question about the setbacks that we encounter is “why?” Why me?, why now?, Why this? But “why” is often an unanswerable question. It is more useful to raise the question of “what”. What now ? What can I do? What purpose will this have in my life?
A man who suffered a serious accident reflected that while he couldn’t understand why it happened to him, he knew that after it was over, he would be uniquely prepared to help someone else who had the same experience. During his recovery period. He learned to be more patient than before. In our darkest times, God will take us by the hand and walk with us, step by step, as we make progress toward finding the answers to our problems. As we move forward, our faith will grow as we learn that God really does know best and is steadily working for our good. The old hymn: “Let Him Have His Way With You,” offers us words of comfort when we need guidance and are unsure of how to proceed in solving our problems.
Let us strive to be as patient with ourselves as the God of infinite compassion is with us!
“O’God of everlasting kindness, help me alomg the way day by day. Guide my every step, even those that are short and halting. Remind me that you are building my spiritual growth by teaching me to have patience and to always trust you.”
• “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. James T. Akers of Madison is the state chaplain for the American Legion.