In my quite time, thoughts came crashing as I am expectant and praying for perfection, I think to myself what do I do to get this thing; wait more or remind them that I am waiting, thinking they might have forgotten but I have this assurance that it is mine by his grace. By His grace I said, because He has the final say and knows what is best for you. While I brace myself up in expectation, I hope to use this piece to motivate you and join you to nurture the hope that there is hope. Illustrating some thought, one may go like “Ah! It’s so hard to wait, what am I waiting for? It’s like I’m wasting away, things are being delayed, not moving as expected, no time to waste, let me get at it, take charge and take control. Yeah, get at it as if you really have control, like things must always work according to your plan, but let me ask; in life, haven’t you experienced blessings in some delay? Haven’t you heard words like “anything done in haste is waste”, in the word of God; teachings like “the expectations of the righteous shall not be cut short”, what if you try a little patience? It could mean endurance, longsuffering, I am sounding it that it will not tarry, it will come.

 

This is not designed to be a homily, but there are a lot of comforts from the word of God concerning issues like this, it lightens our weight and brings understanding, it gives us the knowledge of how the world operates and set us in the right track, it is indeed a manual from living. When it gets heavy on us we rarely think that way as we want quick answers, we don’t like the discomfort, but desire to be free, not knowing that the discomfort brings freedom. Freedom we will get for sure but not in a vacuum, just as gold is been tested and refined by going through fire, we too would have a time allotted for our test. This test of life according to Bishop David Oyedepo doesn’t come with a time table, and recommends we “live ready” as there may be no time to “get ready”. Yes! We need to stay alert; temptations are real so also is our triumph. “In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” – John 16:33b. Peace and triumph is assured us in Christ Jesus.

 

In exercising our patience, we can only find reasons to in the word of God, holding on to something, knowing that our Joy shall be made full, knowing that we are not in it alone, knowing that the prince of peace will fulfill his promise and bring us comfort. Bearing in mind that sorrows may endure the night but Joy comes in the morning. This is not a call to wait in vain but to know that by strength shall no man prevail. This is a call of waiting with a substance, an assurance that it would come not solely by your power but by divine direction, knowing when to act, what to do and how it would be. You have to hold that substance, if you lost the substance fear sets in, you loose your balance and start running helter-skelter in search for other means only to be found worse from where you came from. Don’t be deceived by any means or what you see outside; it is only in Christ that you can find true solace.

 

 

Those substances as highlighted in the title are: Faith, Love and Hope. One thing that binds them together is patience. Faith is been patient with God; Love is been patient with your neighbor; while Hope is been patient with yourself. I came across a dictionary definition of patience that suits the three (3) substance above, which is the ability to accept delay (faith), annoyance (Love) or suffering (Hope) without complaining.

 

Faith as defined in the bible is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Holding unto that substance until it comes is not the same as waiting in vain. It is a case of trusting your cares in the hands of your creator. If you are patient with God you will not source for any other means for answers, knowing that if you don’t get what you want now it still counts for your good. If you have faith in God, you’ll be patient with Him to deliver what he promised. As well known delay is not denial, though it tarry wait for it; it will not tarry, it will come.

 

“For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise” – Hebrew 10:36

 

Love; has a lot of definition as it applies to us as individuals, generally regarded as a tender feeling for someone or something. Be that as it may, the kind related to here is that directed to a fellow human being; be it your neighbor, a stranger, or an outsider in general. Showing Love is been patient; consider you are in your waiting period then imagine the humiliation that could come from people around; let them say, it is their mouth, yeah! But somehow it affects us. There are times we think of ourselves as what people think about us; even your thoughts could torment you, the only way to conquer this is through Love. See an example in the case of a woman expecting the fruit of the womb, the talk of people here and there could be irritating and annoying, making her think of alternatives to getting results. Your patience here in ignoring them is to show love to them by been tolerant, accommodating and respectful regardless of what you get in return. It requires patience to bear the act of people not to react and regret your actions. Love is one universal currency that is acceptable by all and should be given back at every opportunity. Love is a substance that cannot be conquered; show them love and expect your blessings. After Abraham had patiently endured the bible said “he obtained the promise”. There is a triumph awaiting you when your patience is exercised in love; your inheritance is sure.

 

 

Hope is the substance that gives you the belief that something desired will happen (come to pass). The hope here is that there is a hope and this is something you can’t contract. You just have to be patient with yourself and exercise your optimism, positivism and confidence. Some people tend to commit suicide when pressure seems too heavy. To think of it, would that really solve the problem? What if the act did not result to death, imagine after standing in front of a moving truck only to end up with broken joints instead of the desired death; would such a person be better off to attain destiny? Well, that could be destiny in itself, lol…. The moral here is to learn to wait a little more, be hopeful knowing that it would come.

 

“But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” – Romans 8:25

 

Your patience is not a sign of weakness nor is it lack of control; it is the ability to show your faith in God, love for your neighbor and your hopefulness knowing that it would come. To think of it, what will our anxiety bring or rather what has it ever brought? We fall short of something the next is to get worried. Our worries only create more problems than it solves, it creates a thick air of panic and distress, thereby clouding our reasoning to see those substance in been patient; cast your burden on me says the Lord, why bear a needless pain? You did not create yourself, you are living a life in Christ Jesus, the word of God says “for in him we live and move, and we have our being… for we are also his offspring”, bear that in mind and know that He that has started a good work in your life and will surely bring it to perfection, instead pray, make your request known (have faith), don’t take any displeasure that may come from your neighbors in form of mockery (show love) and be expectant (hopeful)……

 

 

 

All scriptural references are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible

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