You might be surprised at all the Bible verses about patience you will find in this post, much less the Bible. But first, let me ask you, have you ever prayed for more patience and it seemed like all “you know what” broke loose!? It makes me think of the funny meme I’ve seen that says, “Bless me with patience…not opportunities to be patient, I’ve had plenty of those and they don’t seem to be working!”
The Word of God is Full of Bible Verses About Patience
When I started searching the Bible for verses about patience I was totally surprised by how often patience is addressed in the Bible! Even better, I’m still finding new Bible Verses about patience the more I search. Every new verse I find, I realize, that as with most things in life, I can turn to the Word of God for wisdom and counsel. And honestly, I’d much rather learn from the Word of God than the world on how to imitate and be more Christ-like, for example, more patient.
In my Bible Journaling Tips, Inspiration, and Permission book, I have two whole pages listing Bible verses about patience for a Topical Bible Study. That’s one of the many word studies included in the Ebook.
Reading Versus Living Bible Verses About Patience
Reading Bible verses about patience is the easy part though, it’s living them that’s hard. At night when I consider in my nightly examen, “Was I patient with myself and others today?” I have to honestly say “No” many nights. And since I’m being honest here, I also have to confess being a bad example to my children in the area of patience.
And just like I need daily affirmations to help me through the day, weeks, months, and years of my life, I also need to rely on the Word of God to teach and strengthen me.
Patience Intertwined with Pride
I also need to add, when I started examining the Scriptures for verses about patience, I also realized I needed to examine Bible verses about pride. The two are the best of friends and they can very easily gang up on me and you.
Let me show you how these best of friends operate. My pride initially sets my expectations for how I think things should go or be done–my way of course. When my expectations are not met, pride’s best friend, impatience rears an ugly head. “Don’t you know I’m…Didn’t you realize I’m…I’m trying to…I’m going to…I need…I want…I expect…I thought…” Me–Me–Me, a sure and glaring sign of pride. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 and 2 Timothy 2:24 address our expectations contributing to our impatience.
[Tweet “When I realize I’ve been struggling with patience it’s a BIG red flag I’m struggling with pride.”]
An Impatient Nag is Born
One of the ugliest truths about impatience is that is so much easier to recognize and try to correct in someone else. Ahem. This is the part of the story where I think I’m gently correcting but more often than not I’ve become an impatient nag! Double Ahem.
How many times does my impatience with myself end up looking like agitation and impatience with someone else? More times than I personally care to admit! So in this struggle to become more patient, I also need to add the virtue of endurance; the stamina to either remain patient or to continually redirect to my heart and mind to practicing patience. Luke 21:19 and Romans 5:4 are perfect Bible verses to reflect on for this particular issue.
[Tweet “We can’t be patient without endurance or endure without patience #thebibletellsmeso”]
What’s Really Going On Here?
So what is the solution to impatience? I think we need to ask ourselves some questions to figure this one out. The first one is, “What’s going on here? Is this situation really a problem or is it just not meeting my expectations?”
For example, I run into the grocery store to buy milk and eggs and end up standing in line for 15 minutes for two items. By the time I get to the car, I’m a mess and I need something for my impatient induced headache, antacids for my churning stomach because I’ve gotten myself all worked up or a drink (something strong or warm or both) to set myself back right with the world!
Was the problem:
I expected to run in and run out? I expected all cashiers on hand for little ‘ol me? I expected an experienced cashier? I expected the lady in front of me to have her act together?
Romans 15:5 or Ephesians 4:2 would certainly be a couple of verses about patience I would need to recall in a situation like that. Both of those verses address how I should treat others. They use such descriptive words as: harmony, accord, lowliness, meekness, and forbearing. Ouch.
What if I decide there really is a problem? What if it’s not my expectations, it actually is the situation? And what if the “problem” is actually an “opportunity?” Using the above grocery store example; could it be the Lord giving me some down time–albeit in a grocery line–to just be still for a minute?
Could the Lord be offering me an opportunity to smile at my fellow shoppers? I may have been the only person they saw that day who smiled at them.
Could the Lord be offering me a nice, although normal, everyday training ground to work on the virtue of patience?
And after the fact when I think back over the grocery store scenario, did I squash the opportunity to practice patience with the agitated tapping of my foot? Really, there are worse ways to learn patience than standing in a grocery line right? Waiting on test results from the doctor or a call about a sick loved one in another state or a terminal illness…There are definitely worse ways to put my patience, or lack of, to the test.
When I encounter these moments that rile up my patience, I need to step back and consider, maybe this is actually for my good. Psalm 37:7-9 or Isaiah 40:31 are scriptures suitable for this pondering.
Maybe the opportunities to practice patience are not only for the sake of patience. Maybe there are other virtues that will be refined and strengthened in this process. Below you will find an ever growing list of posts on this topic. Bookmark this post because I will be adding to the list.
More Bible Verses About Patience Posts
Bible Verses About Patience: 1 Thessalonians 5:14
Bible Verses About Patience: 2 Peter 3:9
Bible Verses About Patience: Hebrews 6:12, 15
Bible Verses About Patience: Galatians 5:22
Bible Verses About Patience: 2 Timothy 2:24
Bible Verses About Patience: Hebrews 10:36
Bible Verses About Patience: Hebrews 10:36
Bible Verses About Patience: 1 Corinthians 13:4
Bible Verses About Patience: Philippians 4:6
Bible Verses About Patience: Galatians 6:9
Bible Verses About Patience: Colossians 3:12
Bible Verses About Patience: Romans 12:12
Bible Verses About Patience: Romans 8:25
Bible Verses About Patience: Psalm 130:5
Bible Verses About Patience: Ecclesiastes 7:8
Bible Quotes: Patience in the Bible
How ironic THAT MY WORD For THIS YEAR IS PATIENCE. I definitely need some! I really enjoyed your story. Thank you!
I love it when God does that!
God definitely knows what we need- and when. Here it is Jan. 15 and I’m just getting around to reading this post. How timely though. My patience is really thin – I’m still awaiting pathology reports on some procedures I had done 10 days ago. Not my time, but Yours, dear Jesus. I will print out the scripture verses right now. Thanks, Jenny!
Oh how frustrating Debbi! Please let us know how the report comes back. In the meantime, I know these verses with serve you well.
Ahh, patience and pride… such a good point! I experienced an excellent opportunity to practice patience this Christmas when I came down with Influenza A in mid-December. Awful!!! But the Lord worked with my heart and helped me figure out what could be let go. If I hadn’t turned the situation over to Him, I know it could have been a terribly stressful season. Praise be!
Oh no Sarah, sick on Christmas! My husband and a couple kids were too. So thankful He cares for us and gently teaches us through even the most ordinary of trials in life. Thanks for your visit.
Hi Jenny, I spoke about this in my Sunday school class. I a glad you shared this post.
Oh that does my heart glad Ifeoma! Thanks for sharing this with me.
Ahhh yes, I need to work on the patience side of things too. I am notorious for walking out of a store when I see the lines are too long. Christmas shopping… that’s easy, order online. Instant gratification. It’s not healthy and I know that. Especially as a Christian… because the temptation becomes strong to demand “quick results” from God too.
Thank you so much for sharing those scriptures. I’ll be meditating on them.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
I totally feel ya, Jenny. Although I have come a long ways in the patience department, I still have a long way to go. I find myself asking God to adjust my expectations and give me patience when I know I will need it– aka at the drive through in the pharmacy this morning when they turned me away and said wait 45 more minutes (with my toddler in the back seat.)
But wouldn’t you know that God prevented me from getting all worked up and my kiddo still came home to nap? It’s a Christmas miracle 🙂
Don’t you just love a great Christmas Miracle! I loved that prayer for God to change your expectations. I know it’s not only in patience that sometimes my expectations are too high. I can see that prayer coming in handy many, many time.
Oh, I needed this right now! My students have morphed into deaf squirrels in this last day before the day that vacation starts! I’ll be claiming the promises you’ve gathered all day today and tomorrow.
Don’t you remember being a kid in school the week there was a break coming up?! I never realized as a child how much the teachers were looking forward to the break as well.
I have been just as guilty of being impatient at times too. I am trying to be more patient…to flash that smile while waiting in the grocery story line, letting someone go ahead of me, etc. I think you are right…that that maybe the only smile they get that day. I also love that one of the fruits of the spirit is patience. My oneword365 this past year has been gentleness. I find gentleness and patience go hand in hand. God is so much gentler and patient with us than we are with ourselves!
Oh yes His gentleness and patience are amazing! There was a time when I would have to remind myself to not be harder on myself that He was.
What a great post! I love starting my day with scripture and you included such encouraging verses.
I’m glad you like them Jenn. These would be perfect to hang a bathroom mirror to see first thing in the morning.
Wow this post really spoke to me! I’ve been thinking to myself this whole week I need to start being more patient.
I love it Amanda when I receive little confirmations like that. I’m glad you were able to glean something from this post.
Oh, patience. You are so right. For me that near constant irritation and knot in my shoulders is a sure sign that somewhere I have married my heart to my own expectations and am refusing to see God present in my reality. Sitting in the word and counting my gifts–all the ways He is present and active in my real, right now life– is the only way to swing my heart back to center. I’ll be printing out these verses for just such an occasion. Which will likely be this afternoon at the latest 😉
Yes Colleen, counting out my gifts definitely turns my attention aware form my own expectations because I begin to see how my gifts–EXCEED my expectations!
Lord knows I struggle with this more than I care to admit. Be careful when you pray for patience. God sends you plenty of things to learn from.
Someone told me one time that patience means “long suffering.” Yikes!!
Jenny, God is speaking to us in similar similar way. Patience is something that I feel I am constantly working on. Lately I have been reminding myself that we all have our own pace. Instead of thinking that the person in front of me needs to move faster, I am reminding myself that maybe God put the person in front of me so that I slow down.
Oh my goodness Erica I totally love that shift in perspective! Yes, it’s not that the aituation needs to speed up to our frenzied pace, we need to slow down.
A much-needed post during a time where the world is telling us we need to speed up and be less patient with each other! I can only imagine how much different work, family life and hanging out with friends would be if we were just a little more patient with each other. 🙂
Can you imagine? I think it would like the way my toddler wanders around outside–looking at this thing and only moving on to the next when he’s ready and then looking at that…
I listened to Mother Angelica tell a story about Philip Neri that gave me a bit of a new perspective.
He spent 3 hours in the chapel with our Lord begging him to give him a spirit of gentleness since he was prone to an explosive temper. He left the chapel thinking he beat it only to meet with a lay brother and then priest, with whom he blew up at them for not meeting his expectations.
He rushed back to the chapel to blame our Lord for not helping him. Jesus appeared to him and let him know that he had, in fact, heard and answered his prayer by doubling his opportunities.
Those are the stories I’m afraid of!!! Thanks for sharing Michelle.