PATIENCE BREAKS BONES
Have you ever been promised help out of a fix and it took longer amidst a passing deadline? How did you behave while waiting for your name to be called or an sms confirmation? You will never know how impatient you are not until you are tempted to be impatient.
“With patient a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue can break hard bones.” Proverbs 25:15
The above scripture reminds me how water can eat up a lock. With paience the most toughest spouse or boss can be turned into the most simplest friend. In this world we need patience than ever before especially in this generation of instant food, instant access, and instant information. Every one wants to be the first to go even when they don’t know the way. A person who gets a job today wants in one year to have own house, drive a big car, marry and have children who have graduated. Life is a process. Just the way we dig deep foundations for permanet buildings, in the same way God wants us to respect the process. Some times life may seem like you are moving down instead of moving up. Yes at times it is God digging deep for a strong foundation. The deeper the foundation, the stronger is the house and the foundation determines how far the building can move up.
Patience is waiting for the appropriate moment and working with time and seasons. If we want corn, we must wait for rainy season in order to plant; then we must wait again for it to mature for harvest. Likewise, there are problems which cannot be solved right away. Sometimes they must mature. Without waiting for the right time, we may add to the problem. Mature leaders recognize seasons in their lives and businesses, and allow time for change. They know change is a process, and they practice patience during the process. They also know that without patience they might force things too much and could cause costly immature reactions.
It is important to sense the moods of an employee or team before we give correction. There is a right time and a wrong time for dealing with a situation. Patient people receive three honors:
- They are honored as people in control of themselves, because they watch how they react to difficult situations.
- They are honored as people of understanding, because they listen to make sure they understand before they react. They won’t take high risks in a situation.
- They are honored as being wise, because they choose to hold their peace and calm the fears of others involved by giving good counsel.
When we are angry, we should wait (be patient) until we cool off. We should recognize the old proverb, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Quick responses from unprepared hearts only complicate the situation, and in the end we all lose. But as the Proverb states, “Be patient, and you’ll finally win.” With patience, everyone can win. Patience, if practiced rightly, will give all those involved peace and security.
We should be careful and recognize that it takes time to develop people. We should not expect a fourth-grade student to understand eighth-grade lessons. Good leaders know when to push and when to pull. They remember that leadership is leading people, getting people to see what they see, and teaching them how, when and why they want to get there. Our expectations should be based on our training and development of people. We should know this takes time. We should never ignore problems, but allow time and be patient, watching for the right moment to deal with them. God will usually inspire someone with a solution if we wait and pray.