Patience begins by changing the way we view something. When we’re impatient, we have a narrow perspective. All we can clearly see is ourselves: our needs, goals, schedule, desires, and the way other people are messing up our lives. Basically, the root of impatience is selfishness. Instead, let’s try to see things from the other person’s point of view. If we want to do our best in a relationship, we need to learn to see life from our loved one’s point of view. If we want to contribute to building a strong, unified family, it can be a good idea to try seeing things from our parents’ point of view. If we want to succeed in business, we should try to see things from our customer’s point of view. If we want to be successful employers, we need to learn to see life from our employees’ point of view. Try to discover why the other person feels like they do. If we went through life never having to deal with irritations and interruptions, we’d never have the chance to develop patience. So one of the first steps we should take is to accept the truth that God directs our steps, and that trusting Him means we don’t need explanations from Him. The Bible says, ‘The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?’ (Proverbs 20:24 NLT). Patience is a sign of maturity. ‘Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly’ (Proverbs 14:29 NIV). A person with understanding and wisdom, who learns to see life from another’s (and God’s) point of view, is able to be patient. So today, why not ask God to give you a new perspective on things.
