Patience

I remember one of my professors in college once said to me, "Ebaisin, patience is a virtue." Well, if I am being honest, they might not have personalized it like that, but that's how I heard and remember it to this day hahahaha. I do believe that it is, but believing it doesn't make it any easier to embody. I'll admit it is hard to be patient, to have patience, especially in today's hustle culture. But patience is important, it's so important that it is considered one of the fruits of the Spirit. In Galatians 5:22-23, it says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.

A Season of Patience and Surrender

God's timing is truly impeccable. While I had points in mind that I wanted to hit in this blog post, I was struggling with writer’s block this week. With hopes of getting this uploaded before Lent ends, the pressure of finishing started to feel heavy on my shoulders. Nonetheless, I continued doing the things I would normally do when inspiration is not at my wits. I prayed, listened to sermons, read a few books, and watched a few videos. But the inspiration still didn't come to me.

I looked at every day that passed this week, each one getting me closer to the 21st, still worried about how I could put together all the ideas that I had in my mind. Then I woke up this morning to my answered prayer. It finally clicked in my mind that I am literally in a season of patience. Recently, with every post I have made, God's hand and His sovereignty have been revealed to me. It is as though everything that I have written about God has positioned me to experience myself so that when I am writing, I am speaking from a place where I have been, from feelings that I have felt, and emotions that I have lived. I've also noticed that in situations where I hadn't initially undergone or experienced feelings, concerns, or doubts related to what I am writing about almost immediately after hitting post I am dealt with a situation or occurence where I need to follow or apply the very advice, scripture, prayer, or words that I myself wrote about to my own life. I don't think for a second that this is a silly coincidence. I take it humbly and as a blessing that God would position me into situations where I need to apply my writing to my life, or reflect on whether or not I am doing the very things that I talk about. I can't just preach it, I've got to also live it, so it is also my truth. Not only does this keep me convicted, it reminds me that I am equally a student, a learner, and a woman going through these very real motions. It makes me feel authentic, and real, and above all else connected, corrected, and convicted by the Lord. It reminds me that I am merely a vessel, and that God is the one who gives us wisdom, insight, perspective, and knowledge.

Remember, in my last post, I wrote about being in a season of surrender, which again is a constant state. I hadn't thought about the fact that for the past week, I had been at a crossroads between patience and surrender. For me personally, surrender in this season required me to give my entire graduate school process to the Lord. If you don't know already, I have been trying earnestly to get into law school. I don't want to get into the nitty grittys of it all (if you wanna know more about that, check out my LinkedIn lol), but I just took my second LSAT last Thursday. If I’m being honest, like I would tell anyone who asks, I am probably the worst law school applicant or candidate on paper. I have no legal experience, a pretty mediocre GPA, a low LSAT score, and practically nothing that makes me stick out academically.

I know that I have so much to offer outside of the small realm of my academic summary, but just looking at my stats at face value, I’m pretty mid. I could have let this be the reason I quit, postponed, or cost myself another two years or more of tuition, trying to strengthen my stats in a master's program. But instead, I surrendered it to the Lord.

I want to make something clear here, though. I am not suggesting that you go on ahead and just start throwing things onto the Lord without doing what the Lord expects you to do as well. Several factors affected my undergraduate performance that don’t make it a true or accurate representation of my actual skill sets. On top of that, law school tutoring is costly, not to mention application fees and additional costs that I have discussed on my LinkedIn. Though I would want to continue aiming for a 180 or complete a master's program if I could, it is far too burdensome and unrealistic for me to spend any more money on the admissions process alone. I mention all of this to say that I am confident that, for the time being, I have done everything that I can that is within, if not exceeding, my means. And I am willing to continue to do what I must, but where I am, it is time to surrender it all to God; with confidence after all, that all things come from Him. I've done what I can, and I know and trust that there will be people who oversee my applications, truly looking at them holistically.

Instead of focusing on the areas I can no longer control, I focused on the ones that I could. So I took my time to make sure that my personal statement truly reflected the path that brought me to this moment. I made sure to discuss what may seem like limitations, academically based on my CAS report and the whys behind them. I also made sure to highlight my strengths and talk about all the accomplishments and great things I did during undergrad, and the reasons that make me stick out as a candidate personally, intellectually, and entirely. I know that when they look at me as a student holistically, I go from being mid to being profound, excellent, and far more than just worthy.

And so I gave it to God. I surrendered it, because I know He is a God who can change the hearts of others like He did with King Xerxes and even the Pharaoh. I think about what Jerry Bridges wrote in his book Trusting God, where he discusses how God can guide even the most powerful and opposing person's decisions, like a king, without violating their will. Instead, they do it willfully, by choice, being inspired by the Lord with or without even knowing it.

Proverbs 21:1-3: “In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

The Moment I Realized Patience Was the Next Step

I tell you all of this so that you know that those verses from the last post, the advice, and all else are concepts that I had to learn practically, postures that I had to live out, and learn to love myself.

There’s far too much to explain as to why the last month has been physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. But to summarize it, I had to pick up extra shifts at work for three weeks while also studying and being present for several different events in my life. After those three weeks of studying, I had just two weeks left before my exam, where I needed to handle both personal affairs and my studies. So when this Monday came around, I was beaten down to say the least.

When I say I slept Monday away, then Tuesday came and I slept it away too, I mean it. My body had little to nothing left to keep moving at the pace I had been for the past month or so. But I still wanted to, I still wanted to finish this post, to do more admissions work, I still wanted to keep going and doing.

Then Wednesday came, and I continued to pray for inspiration. As I did, I continued to do all the things I would normally do aside from school and writing. But throughout the day, I still kept having these aching pains and feelings like, Dang God, I want to know where I'm going to school. I still have to find housing where I end up. I need to get grants and scholarships. I need to finish this series up before Easter Monday. I need to figure out how imma make enough money for all the stuff I have to handle over the next couple of months. God, I have so much to worry about, and I need to have it all figured out now.

Before I knew it, I was spiraling and becoming consumed by the stress that awaits me, the uncertainties that could arrive, and the plans that I could not imagine or see. I even started to question and theorize all the ways God could or could not be working, foolishly trying to see if I could figure out His plans for me.

But somewhere along the way, God spoke to my heart and said, Ebaisin, you have already surrendered it. Somewhere in my heart, the Lord reminded me that it is all well, that it is all in His Hands. What then was all the fuss about? Why then should I continue to fret?

And so I woke up this morning, and it finally occurred to me that the season I am in is about more than just surrender. It is also about learning to be patient, because I am confident in the Lord!

Psalms 27: 13-14 "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

When Patience may be required of you

When I think about patience, I most commonly think about waiting seasons. Periods like the one I am in, when it feels like there isn't much else to be done other than pressing on and putting your trust in the Lord. But I would like for you to think about other times when patience is required in your relationship with the Lord. I was having some trouble thinking of times on my own, so I thought up a few with ChatGPT ( dang, the writer's block must still be kicking lool)

• When we don’t understand God’s plan yet

• In suffering or affliction

• During testing or trials

• While dealing with difficult people

• In spiritual growth

• While resisting temptation

• When waiting for justice or vindication

• In ministry or service

• While praying and not yet receiving an answer

• As we await the fulfillment of God’s promises

Some more that I can think of include

• When God is getting us ready to handle the blessing He has for us

• When God is repositioning us

• Between every end and new beginning

• When God is teaching us something

• When God wants us to think about our faults in a situation

• When God wants us to reflect and look inwards

Let Your Patience Be Praise

Now, if you're anything like me, there may be times when you think, well, I did everything that I can do, all that's left is patience, but you say this a little bit too prematurely. There will be times when we need to do a lil more than we think before we step into a posture of patience. I think those times are the hardest to discern for me because I pretty much live in a constant state of feeling like there is more that I could, should, and ought to be doing. Have you ever felt like you've done enough, but there's still this conviction in your mind and body telling you that there's something else that you should do before considering the job done? Let me just apologize in advance right now to those of you that read this far and thought that I was gonna give you a concrete solution to solving this problem, I'm sorry sis, but God aint tell me all that on this lovely morning. Nonetheless, I do have some concrete, unshakable, solid stone advice that will guarantee that you will figure out if there is anything that you have got left to do before you give it to the Lord. If you have tuned into the last couple of posts, you already know what my first answer is going to be.... Pray about it. Sis, you have got to get in the habit of praying before, after, and during every season of your life, and imma keep reminding you until even I've got it figured out, cause I still don't, and I surely am still learning. Prayer is the best way to figure out the things that you just don't have figured out yet. I am not saying that the answer will be revealed to you during your prayer time, in your prayer closet, or on your prayer wall. But the Lord will absolutely give you an answer in due time. Start by praying about it.

One of the most misguided ideas that I want to make sure you don’t take from this is the belief that you should be patient in hopes of getting something you want from or out of God. Your patience shouldn’t merely be a prerequisite for your desired outcome or a simple means to an end. To be honest with you, you could be patient for all of your life, and God may still not give you even close to what you wanted or desired out of Him. God knows what is best for you, your situation, and your life. While you may have hope that the thing you want is the answer to your prayers, God may find something else to be the answer. That is why it is important that your patience is unconditional and not selfishly rooted. Instead, be patient because you trust God to do what needs to be done. Let the posture of patience bring glory to the Lord. Look at patience as the embodiment of casting your burdens upon Him, and be thankful that you no longer need to worry about them, that you don't have to do all the work that God is doing behind closed doors. How great of a God we have that we have the option to be patient, that we can rest assured knowing that He is going to give us exactly what we need. A prayer that comes to my mind about patience is Psalms 40, where David writes

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,    out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. 4 Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. 6  Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened—  burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. 8 I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”

I love this Psalm for so many reasons, but especially for verse 3, as David waited the Lord, put a new song in His mouth, a hymn of praise. Imagine all the stress and the many things that were going on around David at the time, whether he was king or yet to be. David had so many reasons in his life to be worried. In the verses proceeding these, there is reason to believe that David could have had a desire to take matters into his own hands; and it is clear that he was troubled, struggling with sin, and that he was having a hard time seeing forward. David communicated that his heart was failing within him, and he pleaded that the Lord would save him from himself and those who wanted to take his life away from him. Yet remember what he said in those first 8 verses, the Lord shut out all of those thoughts and troubles, and He replaced them with a new song, one of praise. Blessed is the one who trusts the Lord. There will be many who come trying to convince us that they know what we should do and what is best. There will be many that come with strong track records and false promises that seem more tangible and effective. There will be other temptations, other things, and other Gods that others will try to convince us to rely on, to know and trust; however, exceedingly and abundantly are the truths, promises, wonders, plans, and the desires of the Lord. Nothing compares to Him, there is simply too much that He has done to ever be measured. God gives His promises freely to those whom He loves. He requires nothing, yet He fulfills everything. There is nothing greater than the Lord, so be patient, sis, all that don't got nothing for you but destruction. Instead, fix your eyes on the Lord and be patient, trust that He is working all things out for your good. What a beautiful law the Lord has written on our hearts.

Christ-Like Patience: For the Wait, the Weakness, and the Win

Now, because this series is about Being In A Loving Relationship With the Lord, let's talk about how being patient will contribute to and help to strengthen your relationship with Him. If you are using your seasons of patience to deepen your relationship and understanding of the Lord, not only will you gain a sense of comfort while you wait, you can also get to know Him on a deeper level. By leaning in on scripture, spending more time in prayer, and uplifting praises to the Lord, you will be drawn closer to Him. I also believe that patience is a good opportunity for you to reflect on how much you really trust the Lord. Sometimes you think you trust the Lord more than you do, and it isnt until you're put in a situation that forces you to take a look inward that you realize you still have limiitations For instance, I like to think about the story of Peter when Jesus called Him out to walk on the water. If you have been watching The Choosen recently, you get an illustrative idea of Simon-Peter. In the show, they make Him out to be like Jesus's right-hand man, the man who is always down to ride, who is always standing on business. That's why I think it's so ironic that later he denies the Lord, and that even in this moment, he struggled to believe that it was Jesus who met them on the water. Keep in mind, just before they left for the boats, they saw Jesus multiply 5 pieces of bread and 2 fish to feed 5000 people. But Peter still struggled to believe that He could walk on the water, even knowing that Jesus was right there with Him. He spent his time day in and day out with the Lord, and though he could have figured it out another way, this situation was necessary so that he could be transparent and see where his weaknesses were before the Lord. The Lord asked him, "Why do you doubt?" It isn't always easy to be patient or to have unwavering faith, but in moments where your patience is tested, look at it as an opportunity to increase your faith, to increase your trust in the Lord. To me, when I see and read about the disciples stumbling or having troubles with their faith, it honestly reassures me. Even the people who walked with Him every day struggled, so while we should make it our goal to trust the Lord wholeheartedly, we should also know that even if we struggle in our faith or with our patience, the Lord will love us and strengthen us still.

Let me emphasize this again: you may not get what you want or desire out of God after your season of patience. And, your season of patience could be one day long, or a lifetime long. That's why having these skills and shifts in your perspective is not only beneficial for your right now, but for the rest of your life. Even if you do not get exactly what you wanted out of this season of patience, you get to see the Lord's hand over your life. He is constantly blessing you, and sometimes your struggles reveal that best. In your season of patience, God is still going to be blessing you every single day, every step of the way. Even though you might be focused on your "big" prayer being answered, ask the Lord to open your eyes to see all of the blessings He is giving you daily. This will remind you that God is still blessing and making ways in the valleys just as much as He is in the hills.

Patience can also produce and is sometimes required to have hope in your life and the Lord. If you are struggling in this area, I would like to remind you about one of your greatest blessings, the Holy Spirit. When you are struggling to have hope, or to be patient, the Holy Spirit intercedes for you, the Holy Spirit strengthens you, weary or weak!

In Romans 8:22-27, it says

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

I also love to read and think about 1 Timothy 1:1 12-17 where Paul say

 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason, I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

If you are struggling with your patience, I suggest that you look toward Jesus to be your template. Jesus is the best and ultimate example of what it looks like to be patient. Jesus is patient with all of us, even the worst of us who believe in Him. Should we not also trust Him with that same level of immense patience? It's funny because the Lord gives us this magnitude of trust and patience freely with the understanding that despite His grace and mercy, we will likely sin and fall short again. How much easier should it be for us to be patient in Him with full confidence that He is working all things out for our good. There is no question that God is going to fulfill the plans that he has to prosper us, to give us hope and a future. I know it's hard, but we have the ability and potential to embody and exhibit Christ-like patience, especially toward Him. Sis, fix your eyes on Him, take His yoke upon yourself and learn from Him, His yoke is easy, His way is easy, His burdens are light, Trust Him. Want what He wants for you more than what you want for yourself, and your life will be unbelievably easier, and you will be filled with incomprehensible peace and patience through it all.

Oh, and for those of you who do get what you wanted and desired after a season of patience. Don't forget where your blessing came from. Remember the story from Luke 17:11-19, the story where only one person came back to thank Jesus for healing him. Remember that everything comes from the Lord, and thank Him for answering your prayers, and pray that you handle your blessing accordingly. Even God's Yes's are an opportunity for you to look inward and be transparent about yourself, your pride, your trust, your self-righteousness, and far more. But we'll get into all that another day. Just remember, sis, thank God because He is the reason that you were answered after your long or even short season of patience. Glory be to God for it all!

Our Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for being our deliverer, for being our answer, for being the mediator.

Lord, thank you for being there with us in the midst of all of life’s situations. Thank you, Lord, for being with us in our seasons of patience. Thank you, Lord, for hearing us out, for wanting what's best for us, for being willing to make hard decisions, and for strategizing when it comes to the way you handle our lives. Thank you for giving us the fruit of patience, for giving us direction on how to live Christ-centered lives. Thank you, Lord, for your immense patience in us, for never giving up on us despite our limitations. Thank you, Lord, for not allowing our limitations to be our titles. And thank you, Lord, for this Holy month of Lent. I pray, Lord, that for all of us who fasted for these 40 days, that we do not simply turn back to the lives that we lived. I pray that this month was one of revival, reform, revision, and reconciliation. I pray, Lord, that this month was so groundbreaking, so awakening, that we could not fathom returning back to what once was. Thank you, Lord, for this day, for Good Friday. For giving your life as a living sacrifice. For carrying our burdens and sins, and leaving them on the cross of Calvary. Thank you, Lord, for all that you did to give us a new love, a new covenant, a new direction, a new purpose. Let us, Lord, live every day better than the last, more and more like you with every new dawning. Lord, thank you for loving us enough that you would be patient with us. Thank you, Lord, for never giving up on us, for instead teaching, discipling us, correcting us, and hoping for us. There is no one like you, Lord, and there is nothing that could ever separate us from your love, and so we thank you. We thank you for your goodness, your grace, and for all that you do. Help us to be like you, Lord. Help us to be patient like you, Lord. And forgive us for our sins and our shortcomings. Lord, give us the strength to do better.

In Jesus’ Name We Pray, Amen.

Happy Good Friday, Sisters. I love y’all.

Verses Related to Patience In the Lord

Psalm 37:7: "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!" 

Romans 12:12: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." 

James 5:7-8: "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, patiently waiting until it is ready for harvest. We also must be patient and wait for the coming of the Lord." 

Isiah 40: 28-31 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

James 1:4 2-8 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faithproduces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Hebrews 12:1-2 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.