Patience. If you’re anything like me then you probably don’t have the best of feelings towards this word. It’s been a struggle most of my life and although I’m getting better with it I’m still not where I need to be. But recently God taught me quite a lesson in patience and as he has the tendency to do, used something as mundane as face wash to teach me.
So here’s the scenario, I have this particular brand of face wash I use. On the directions it clearly says to wet your face and massage the product into your skin and then wait two minutes before rinsing off. Well, two minutes in my opinion is two minutes to long so I never wait that long. I wash my face fast and furious and then move on. On this particular day I was distracted by something on my phone and waited two minutes by accident before I washed my face off. I was AMAZED at the difference waiting two minutes made! The product actually came off better and my skin felt and looked great. I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, look at the results I’ve been missing out on because of my lack of patience!”
The other side to this scenario is that I thought my way was better and that I knew it all. I didn’t want to follow the directions that were loud and clear because I didn’t want to wait. I didn’t want to follow the directions, even if it involved waiting two minutes, to get the results I desired. I somehow convinced myself that results would come anyway. Funny how we lie and rationalize to ourselves into thinking we can cut corners and still get the same results. . How ridiculous! It’s just two minutes!
It’s my opinion, patience is the Achilles heel for most women. Myself included. It’s what got us in trouble in the garden. We listened to a lie. We rationalized and then went ahead and ate the apple anyway. It’s why we seek to control and why get grouchy with our husband and kids. It’s why we try to take things into our own hands and do things our way. It’s my experience that when I jump the gun I never quite get the results I desired. OR, the job gets done but my heart is hard and bitter. The state of your heart is at the core of patience.
Patience is not simply waiting. It’s your attitude while you wait. Patience is waiting with contentment and requires a heart of trust and teachability.
You will be tested in many areas of your life to see if you will use patience. Patience reaps a reward. Whether it be in your diet, workouts, parenting, marriage, or business have patience and be conscious of your ATTITUDE while you are waiting. Success really is as simple as listening, following direction, and being patient in the process.
Colossians 3:12-13 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Waiting two minutes,
Lindsey Nadler
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