One definition of the word Patience says, "Patience is the ability to wait for something without getting angry or doing something you'll regret later". Ask anybody who is on the receiving end of someone else's continual impatience and they will tell you that it can be a very wearying thing that drains your strength.
A while ago I was parked in a busy city street in the outside lane, and there was an elderly lady in the middle lane turning across the flow of traffic into a side street. The man in the car behind her was getting impatient with her because she was being over-cautious making the turn, and holding everybody up behind her. He tooted the horn a couple of times to get her to move, and clearly this wasn't helping her at all, but making her more nervous. The man then got out of his car (in the middle of the road), went forward to her car and verbally abused her through her window, making some suggestions about how she could better serve humanity by getting across the intersection a little quicker. He was clearly aggravated, and was making wide sweeping hand gestures to her that he must have assumed were helpful. The poor lady was terrified. Fortunately, someone behind his car yelled out an unprintable name (rhymes with glass bowl) and told him to get back in his car and be patient and wait for her.
Now there's a novel thought: Just be patient with her. It may cost you 20 seconds of your life, but it will benefit her a great deal if, right now, you practice being patient.
Today, this situation describes what we call Road Rage. But when we boil it all down it could simply be called impatience. 'Road Rage' sounds like a disease that's difficult to treat, but impatience is something we can all tackle and work on to improve.
Impatience gone wrong must be responsible for so much human hurt and carnage throughout history. When we're impatient we act rashly, we speak harshly, we act selfishly. When world rulers are impatient they're prepared to start wars to get what they want. When people in authority are impatient they ride roughshod over those below them - whether they are their children, their employees, or simply in their way.
I'm not surprised that things like road rage are a problem in society because we don't practice patience. Our lives are filled with promotions and advertising that encourages us to buy what we can't afford, to own what we haven't worked for, and to experience what we haven't tried and tested. "Use now and pay later", is a common slogan today. I'm not surprised at the human suffering that litters our city streets late at night. When the alcohol and drugs have worn off, and the hangover is gone we are left with the fruit of our impatience. Relationships are damaged, the purse is empty, someone's pregnant or worried about disease, the licence is suspended, etc. I'm not surprised at the broken relationships, and broken families we see around us.
For those who don't believe the Bible has any relevance for us today, have a look at this section of a hard-hitting, straight-forward letter written in the 1st century A.D.
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. (Letter of James 4: 1-3)
How many of us have made bad decisions based on promises of warm fuzzy feelings, quick fixes, whiter teeth, better looks, the right partner, a sexual experience, a bigger TV, faster cars, etc?? We criticise politicians for making suspect promises before an election, and yet we fall for the same suspect lies from salesman and advertisements when we become impatient and obey our desires without thought for the future, or thought for those who are affected by our decisions. And all this because we are impatient.
Here is a challenging thought: When was the last time you saw an advertisement or promotion that challenged you to become a more patient person? To wait for what you desire? To save your money and buy the item when you have enough money? To practice patience with other people? Now that's a rare thing, isn't it?
Food for thought . . . .
Talk soon . . . . dmd
