Losing Your Impatience

"And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing."

James 1:4 

We can all struggle with losing our patience.  You're out with your kids and they just won't listen.  Theyre screaming and running around everywhere.  Your tension is rising and you feel like you're about to lose it.  Or you're waiting on a co-worker for help with a project or piece of information.  They just don't understand how important what you need is and how much of your time they are wasting by not giving you the help you need.

What can you do?

Earlier this week I took my daughter to the mall for a special treat, a Carousel Ride!  As we were walking down the mall to the Carousel she could not contain her excitement.  She was hopping up and down.  She letting go of my hand and running off to look at the fountains or look in the store windows.  I was getting tense and impatient.

And then it hit me. Why was I getting tense?  She is two years old.  And what are little two year-old girls supposed to do?  Play!  Why was I getting upset?  All the tension left and I got to spend a fun afternoon with my little girl.

We get impatient when the world around us is not behaving the way we think it is supposed to behave.  I was envisioning my daughter being "the perfect little girl."  She should hold my hand and walk next to me (always keeping up with me).  She shouldn't jump and hop or talk loudly.  In other words she should behave like an adult.  That's the little girl I was expecting to take to the mall.  But that's not the way a normal little girl acts.  Normal little girls jump and hop and scream and PLAY every minute of the day.  Once I realized that I wasn't expecting reality, I lost my impatience.  And we had a great time!

Now I know this doesn't apply to every situation.  Your co-worker may not be doing their job.  Or maybe you're expecting too much from them too quickly.  Before you lose your patience, take a step back from the situation to get a new perspective.  You may find out that your boss has asked them to work on something else that takes priority.  Or they may be waiting for something from another co-worker to finish the task for you.

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who listens to counsel is wise."  

Proverbs 12:15

Find out the way the world is supposed to acting before you react to it.  Get counsel.  I'm not saying gossip about the situation with a friend.  Ask someone whose opinion you trust about the situation and find out what they think.  It may not even be someone you like.  As long as you trust that them to tell you their honest opinion.  It can be the difference between losing your patience and losing your impatience.  Believe me, losing your impatience is much more satisfying!