I should not expect her too. She is after all only four years old. As mom, one job I have is to teach her patience. She will go very far in life if she can learn to have patience—and it is learned.

Part of learning patience is understanding she cannot exert her will over mine, she cannot have what she wants right now.

It would seem that many grown adults are like my four-year old daughter when it comes to waiting on God. We are impatient, in a rush, unable to let God take His time to accomplish what He wants, over what we want.

Need it, want it, get it now. Yesterday would have been better. We are the instant generation.

Microwaves heat our food in an instant. We buy what we want when we want it, on credit. The Internet and other technologies have made access to people and information instant. And people with enough initiative can get up and make anything happen, quickly.

(Initiative is needed in the Kingdom to fulfill God’s plans but not to run ahead of God’s timing for those plans. What we can make happen on our own may be good–great even, but it is nothing compared to what God wants to make happen in His time).

God doesn’t work that way. In fact the only thing He is instant in is His love and forgiveness toward us. All the rest, well, it takes time and God is very interested in what we do with that time.

Are we going to let God develop in us the maturity and character that comes with patience? Are we going to let Him develop in us the endurance and capacity to fulfill His call on our lives? Are we going to yield to His plans and timing?

OR are we going to be like an immature four-year old? Complain? Impatient? Tantrum?Whine? Let our egos get the better of us? Run ahead of God and His purposes? Kick open doors before the time God intended? Kick open doors God never intended us to walk through?

It’s all in the wait. Can we be mature enough to wait for God?

Patience is a fruit of the Spirit.
Patience + endurance = capacity.
Patience is a sign of great strength.
Patience is a sign of self-control.
Patience is a sign of wisdom and understanding.
Patience is a sign of maturity.
Patience is a sign of courage and bravery, as…
Patience shows great trust in God, rather than man.
Patience shows we have given over control to God.
Patience shows we want God’s will over our own.
Patience keeps us alert to God.
Patience sees all God’s purposes for our life fulfilled.
Through patience we learn restraint and vision requires restraint.
Through patience we learn to master our thinking and emotions–self-mastery. This is required for Godly character and for us to lead people with integrity.

God is endlessly patient with us, surely we can learn to patiently wait for Him.