Do you ever get frustrated at the slow pace of the spiritual life? We can sometimes say to God, “Lord, I wish I was holier… and do it right now!”
The first person we must have patience with is ourselves. We are all a work-in-progress. Consider which is better — a meal from a crock pot, or a meal from a microwave? Home-cooked or frozen TV dinner? We want things to be instantaneous, but there are no shortcuts to virtue or sainthood. God wants to make sure that what He builds in our life is going to be solid and firm — thus, He takes His time! Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
We must be patient with Him — and patient with ourselves. As St. Paul writes,
“I am sure that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion!”
— Phil 1:6
1 thought on “Patience in the Spiritual Life”
Please read Humility by Andrew Murray. It’s really an important work to help us internally prepare for our interior trials. Thankfully Yeshua is patient with us as we stumble along this life. Thank you Father for trying to shepherd us towards Him.