Impatience

John El Meson once said, ‘impatience is a big get a headache.’ When we are impatient we want to get ahead, we want things to happen fast; we want to run ahead of somebody else. But John El Meson said impatience is a big get a headache. When we are impatient we become frustrated, we express negative emotions ultimately it impact on our health. It has never been easy to be patient but it’s probably harder now than ever.

In our day we can send messages across the world instantly, we can cook food instantly; we can even buy on the internet instantly and now we want everything else to happen instantly but it won’t just happen like that. An acorn will not grow into an oak tree instantly. You don’t build a house instantly. We cannot break the laws of nature; growth is a process.

So, let’s begin with your definition of success. If the definition of success for you is built on material things and of course you can try to acquire material things instantly. But, if your definition of success is in your character, if it is who you are then you must know that it will take time for you to grow your character. And now when we acquire material things very quickly but we do not have the character to manage them ultimately we collapse. Things fail in our lives, we are out of equilibrium. So, please remember success is not what you have it is who you are. And it takes time for you to grow, to develop the emotional and the spiritual capacity to bear the weight of the success that is coming into your life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ‘adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.’ My dear reader trees stayed on the same spot for decades; they know that their time will change, their season will change and they adjust to the times and seasons. They are not under any illusion that they will be growing fruits or leaves all year round. It all depends on season and they are willing to wait. But when the right season comes trees know that the fruits come out by themselves they don’t have to groan or struggle.

Sometimes we struggle, we groan, we are frustrated, we become broken emotionally even physically because we are trying to force things to happen out of season and out of their time. We won’t always get instant results. In fact, some of the best things in life require years of hard work and waiting. If we do not overcome our need for instant gratification we may frustrate the process for achieving our goals. When we are impatient we are likely to be almost always frustrated, angry and unhappy at our rate of growth. And we cannot afford to subject ourselves to negative emotions constantly; it breaks down our health.

So, rather than focusing on what God has not done let’s focus on what God has already done in our lives with that we can be grateful. You know it all depends on what we focus on; it’s either the glass is half empty or it is half full. Let’s focus on the fullness and whatever it is that is left God will still do at his time.

And we must always remember that being impatient has negative consequences. We are likely to get angry, flare up very easily. We are likely to sink into depression and negative dark mood. Also, we have the tendency to throw away relationships, to throw away education, jobs when things are not working for us fast enough.

Our lives are filled with abandoned projects because things are not working fast enough. But of course, to complete a building you must stay with it. Build it right from the foundation all through till you put the roof on it and even then it is not yet done you have to put the finishing touches. Close the openings, close the windows, fix the doors and so on; it just takes time. So, we are likely to throw away relationships, throw away our marriage relationships, throw away friendships, throw away education because things are not working fast enough and sometimes many of us may find it difficult getting those years or relationships back.

Also, we waste our energy worrying instead of spending the same energy in the pursuit of our goals. Because things are not working fast enough we don’t pay attention to the goals themselves we are frustrated. I encourage you my dear friend it takes time but ultimately you will fulfill your destiny. I pray that God will help you not to stay behind the time he designed for your destiny.

You will succeed!