Waiting isn't easy, but it's worth it. Since God has an eternal perspective on life, He may sometimes act more slowly than you wish He would. And people, with all their weaknesses, may often fail to meet your expectations. So patience is vitally important to have and put into practice.
Here are some ways you can strive to be more patient:

• Pray for God to give you the faith you need to trust Him with situations in which you need to wait. When you trust that God has your best interests at heart (as he does!), then you'll find it easier to be patient. Think about the ways God has worked in your life in the past, and expect more blessings in the future.
  
• For a week or so, keep a journal in which you record all the occasions that caused you to become angry or disappointed each day. Look back on your journal and consider how your frustration led to impatience. Make it a habit of praying about anger or disappointment as it wells up within you, asking God to deal with the situations that cause frustration and give you the patience you need to persevere.
  
• Ask God to show how you can slow down your pace in life to better hear how He is guiding you.
  
• Write a list of people with whom you have some unresolved issues that are hindering your ability to be patient with them. Contact each person to work through the issues and seek reconciliation in your relationship. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you work through the process.
  
• Know that God will cause everything that happens to work together for good to fulfill His purposes. The hope God offers is real.
  
• Understand that patience illustrates strength, not weakness. There is real power in patience to bless you and other people.
  

Adapted from Patience: The Benefits of Waiting from the Fruit of the Spirit Bible Studies, copyright 2001 by Stephen Eyre. Published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich., www.BibleStudyGuides.com, 1-800-727-3480.

Stephen Eyre served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for 17 years and has authored several books.