Practice Your Patience Quotient

Practicing patience entails the acceptance of suffering or delay without becoming distressed, angry, or upset. At times it may feel that things in life are not fair, are not happening fast enough, or may not be going the way we have planned. You may feel like giving up, throwing in the towel, and finding an easier path. However, we may be changing the direction created uniquely for us by being restless and abrupt. Nevertheless, being patient can bring a new journey for us, including a new relationship, job, position, or life decision. According to Romans 12:12, turn to prayer, give it to God, and try to rejoice in hope; be patient in the tribulations you face, and be constant in your prayer. Sometimes we may react to difficulties and become upset with anger because we are humans. It is our nature. 

We have all experienced many events in 2022 that have tested our patience. The wide range of examples include sitting in traffic, a flat tire, a car breaking down, trying to find solutions to problems, conflict with others, lack of affordable housing, family members lost to Covid-19, and cancer diagnoses. All have tested our patience and faith in God. We could get angry and frustrated by acting impulsively and doing something drastic in these moments. However, this is where we have to learn patience and let it go to God. We could do nothing other than pray and move forward into another day. Had we acted impulsively and not had faith in God, we would probably not be in a better position today. 

I offer some strategies that helped me achieve patience during the instances mentioned above. First, I never stopped believing in God's graces. Through prayer and meditation, we can find solace in God. Second, I reflected on my thoughts and decisions each day by being mindful and present - did I make the right decision? If not, could I have done things differently? Third, I practiced accepting my current situation, knowing that it would be temporary through the help of God. Then I sat down and created plans and goals for the week, month, year, and five years into the future while reassessing accordingly. Lastly, I built a tolerance for discomfort by practicing patience in any situation I encountered.

After all, it may be easier to respond by becoming irritated or annoyed because we do not want to feel discomfort outside of our norm of practicing patience. It may feel uncomfortable. We may act impulsively and thus, take the wrong action steps that could lead us toward more harm than good. If we develop patience and allow God to lead us toward the path he wants us to be on, it will lead us toward opportunities that enable us to move forward. Time and time again, God has shown that he has a plan for us. At times we need to lean into discomfort, in this case, patience, by becoming self-reflective of our norms and the discomfort patience may create. Will you lean into practicing patience and growth, or will you stay in your comfort zone and potentially miss opportunities meant for you?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christina Krespis

Master of Arts in Psychology student

Graduate School of Education and Psychology