Wait for the LORD;
        be strong and take heart 
        and wait for the LORD. (Psalms 27:14)

Waiting is difficult! We wait for water to boil, for the traffic light to turn green, for the line at the Drive Up window to clear out so we can get our fries. All those are easy, however, compared to the long “wait" involved in developing any aspect of Christian character. 

That water takes a certain amount of time to boil is a matter the physical properties of the universe. That patience (a virtue) takes time to learn is a matter of the properties of the nonphysical universe. More intense heat boils the water faster, but intensity does not produce patience. Patience comes through applying our effort in a more effective way.  

Our primary task in learning patience is not in gritting our teeth, but in shaping our emotions. Our emotions are dependent on what and how we think. Over time we can change our emotions by changing what we are thinking about. If we are impatient as a listener, it may be because we do not respect the person speaking, or think that what we have to do is more important than this particular conversation. Patience in this instance comes from changing how we think about this person or situation — for example, by deciding to treat them with respect, not waiting for them to earn your respect.

There’s another level to patience deeper than our current conversation or circumstance: our part in The Story. It makes all the difference if we understand and put our hope in what God says he is doing with this world. 

The Story? God began the world by creating a garden in which he could be with Adam and Eve; Jesus lived among us full of grace and truth; God sent the Spirit to be in us and among us; and, God will one day remake the world so that those who trust him can be with him in a beautiful New Heaven and New Earth. That’s The Story God is writing, the story into which he has written us. 

Having The Story as the context for our conversations changes how we think about other players in The Story. We must assume that there are no bit players, even and including the slightly irritating person you are valiantly trying to listen to. Valuing the person allows better listening, and better listening means better loving. The second commandment from Jesus is, of course, "love your neighbor as yourself”.

But all this takes time — this developing character and becoming mature. Again, no one becomes a saint overnight. 

There are many things that have not yet been put right by our Lord, and so we must wait on his timing, trusting he will not only improve you and me, but one day make all things right.

    Wait for the LORD;
        be strong and take heart 
        and wait for the LORD. (Psalms 27:14)

It will be worth it!

During Lent we spend time talking about sin, and examining its effect on our lives. Sin brings pleasure, true, but also bondage. 

Jesus [said], “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. (John 8:34)

No one wants to be enslaved, yet we find our hearts betraying us. How?

Tim Keller observes:

the true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention. What do you enjoy daydreaming about? What occupies your mind when you have nothing else to think about? Do you develop potential scenarios about career advancement? Or material goods such as a dream home? Or a relationship with a particular person? One or two daydreams are not an indication of idolatry. Ask rather, what do you habitually think about to get joy and comfort in the privacy of your heart? — Counterfeit Gods, p.168

Choosing what we think about is one of the most basic and powerful things we can do. If our hearts are to be fully set free from the burdensome entanglements of our self-centeredness, we must choose carefully, relentlessly what we allow our minds to dwell upon.

But the habits of our hearts and minds are turned only slowly, and only through the power of the Holy Spirit. It has been rightly said no one becomes a saint in a day!

Try this today: Notice where your thoughts drift when you have a few moments alone. Don’t fix, just notice. Notice what you drift to repeatedly. This may take several days of being aware of your thoughts for you to be able to discern a pattern. 

As you begin to notice where you drift, ask the Holy Spirit, “So what’s going on here? Why do I love this? Why do I feel like I this?” 

After you notice and ask, listen. The Spirit loves to teach our hearts. 
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