“The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression;” Numbers 14:18
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
When my youngest daughter, now 28, was a toddler I found myself praying the same prayer every day throughout the day. “Lord, give me patience!” At times I prayed in exasperation but often I prayed through tears. She is a lovely young woman, now with toddlers of her own; a woman full of love for the Lord.
As a child, however, she was relentlessly busy—emptying cupboards, climbing counters to reach what I had forbidden, and leaving toys in my path. Rarely idle and endlessly creative, she moved with a confidence that suggested my “no” simply meant I hadn’t yet understood her reasoning.
A friend who was never going to have children once told me to not break her spirit. Teachers loved her wit and creativity even in Kindergarten. I responded to them, “You don’t have to live with her.” She always wanted more – more things, more activities, more of me, more, more, more. I loved and love her dearly but I was at my own wit’s end most days when she was little.
More Than Just Patience
One Sunday our pastor at the time spoke the words I so desperately needed. “If you keep asking for the same thing from God over and over and you aren’t seeing any fruit, then maybe it’s time to ask for something different.” In that moment I realized I wasn’t praying wrong – I was praying too narrowly. I had been fixated on patience as if it were something God handed out in isolation, rather than part of a much richer work He was doing in me.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
You find “patience” nestled right in the middle of the fruits of the Spirit. But surrounding it are so many other good gifts He provides. I started asking for God to help me release those other aspects of the Holy Spirit. I needed to slow down, be kind, have joy in what He had blessed me. Instead of demanding, I started co-working with my daughter. I sat calmly with her talking about trust and my desire for her safety. Patience came to me through other gifts.
His Patience Is His Mercy
This struggle with patience didn’t just shape my parenting—it reshaped how I see justice, mercy, and grace. We should all seek to be patient and merciful to others as God has so graciously done for us throughout our years. It’s why Christians must push back against the concept of “karma.” You notice most people who invoke the idea do so in glee of someone else’s suffering? And yet we all deserve some sort of punishment, probably every day. For things we said, thought or did or for those things we didn’t.
“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” Isaiah 30:18
The LORD has been patient with this world for millennium. He promised never to flood the earth again with His wrath against sin and evil. Instead, He sent prophets armed with His Word to warn people and to plead with people to trust in Him and Him only. He even sent His son to take our punishment we so rightly deserve.
“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.“ 1 Timothy 1:16
Friend, His patience is a perfect gift for us imperfect people. We should never say we can’t come to Him because of our failures. He is waiting for us to seek Him so He can lavish us with forgiveness. He doesn’t grow weary in His waiting. However, we are promised that one day the waiting period will be over. We will all face His eternal justice.
When non-believers question, “Where is your God?” We can faithfully answer that He is in the midst of us, patiently waiting for them to repent. For now, we thank Him for the patience He shows us and the unbelievers we love. We can thank Him too for the patience He has gifted us through the Holy Spirit.
As for me and my daughter I can be so thankful for how patient He has been to both of us. Thankful for how much He has loved us. He has blessed us with a beautiful relationship filled with joy.
“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15
