Having patience

“A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.” Proverbs 14:29
We all know that patience is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22), and something that God wants us to have more of. Patience is more than just the ability to wait. It’s the ability to hold our tongue while we are waiting, to not get huffy or exasperated because things are taking a long time to happen, to see God’s plan in it and to be content to wait.
Today’s proverb tells us that to be quick-tempered is to display folly (foolishness). If we are quick-tempered, it is easy to get the wrong end of the stick about someone, or about something they said, and jump to wrong conclusions. That can have disastrous consequences, as friendships are severed needlessly and relationships are strained because someone thought someone else meant something which in fact they didn’t. It’s impossible to take hurtful words back once they have been said.
On the other hand, patience allows us to see the whole situation, without jumping in having heard only half of the story. If this is an area that you struggle with today, take some time to pray and ask God to help develop more patience in you.