Luke 21:19 - "In your patience possess ye your souls."

In a world of instant gratification, where we expect everything immediately, patience stands as a counter-cultural stance.  However, the Bible paints patience not as a passive or undesirable trait but as a vital spiritual discipline. Luke 21:19 reminds us that through patience, we possess our souls. This possession implies mastery, control, and endurance, qualities that lead us to life’s ultimate fulfillment. Patience is an essential currency in God’s kingdom and a key to spiritual survival and success.

Patience: The Governance of Your Spirit

At its core, patience is the governance of your spirit. It allows you to maintain control over your emotions, thoughts, and reactions during trials and tribulations. The literal translation of Luke 21:19 emphasizes that through perseverance, by going through trials and challenges, we save our lives.

Jesus knew the importance of patience and imparted it to His disciples, preparing them not just for the physical trials they would face but for the spiritual endurance required to fulfill their divine destiny.

The Biblical Command for Patience

Patience isn't just a good idea; it’s a biblical command. Scripture repeatedly calls us to this virtue:

• Romans 12:12 teaches, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

• Galatians 6:9 encourages us not to grow weary of doing good, for we will reap if we do not give up.

• Isaiah 40:31 beautifully promises that those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength, mounting up with wings like eagles, running without growing weary, and walking without fainting.

Patience is not optional in the Christian walk. It is the method through which we align ourselves with God’s timing.  It is crucial to understand that impatience is not merely a personality flaw—it is a spiritual issue. Impatience springs up when we doubt the wisdom of God's timing or His ability to guide us. When the road gets tough, muddy, or blocked, impatience can lead us to take wrong turns, both spiritually and practically.

The Counter-Culture of Waiting

Studies show that if a video buffers for more than two seconds, 50% of people will click away. If it takes five seconds, the viewership halves again. This is just one example that illustrates how conditioned we have become to expect immediacy in everything.

Unfortunately, this same impatience has crept into the church. Many people want a platform without the process, deliverance without discipleship, and success without struggle. The sad reality is that this mindset can kill our spiritual walk. Our commitment to convenience can kill our Christianity.

In contrast, patience often brings with it tribulation and trouble—elements we usually consider negative. But as James 1:3-4 explains, “the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Trials aren’t meant to break us; they are tools that God uses to shape us into the image of Christ, and patience is one of the key traits we develop through them.

The Power of Patience in Waiting for God's Promises

There are some things in life where the only payment accepted is patience. Not hard work, not striving, but simply waiting on God. Patience is the only currency that can unlock certain blessings and promises.  Anything of value takes a process, and every process takes patience.

Impatience, at its root, is a form of unbelief. It emerges when we doubt God's timing or goodness. In our rush to fix or achieve something, we take matters into our own hands, often with disastrous consequences. Many of our biggest mistakes happen when we allow frustration to override our faith in God’s timing.

Learning to Wait in Faith

The enemy often attacks when we are frustrated. He plants lies in our minds, telling us that everyone else has it together, which fuels the fire of comparison and discouragement. Comparison is killing us, as Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 10:12, "but they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."

Success in life is simply being right where God wants you to be, no more, no less. The enemy wants you to move before your time, to act out of frustration and impatience. But the truth remains: "In your patience possess ye your souls."

The Reward of Patience: Trusting in God's Plan

God has planted each of us with a purpose. He is the sower, and we are the good seed, meant to bear fruit in the world. Success, in God’s eyes, is becoming what He created you to be, and blooming where you are planted. This takes patience. It takes faith to synchronize your timing with God's timing, trusting that He knows best when and how to bring His promises to pass.

The story of Naomi and Ruth is a sobering reminder of the dangers of moving in frustration. Naomi's family left Bethlehem during a famine, seeking relief in Moab. But in Moab, they lost everything. If they had remained in the House of Bread, they would have seen God’s provision. Sometimes, the waiting is uncomfortable, but it is better than the consequences of moving ahead of God's timing.

Patience teaches us to trust that God’s timing is perfect. Even when it feels like He is delaying, He is working all things for our good. Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that those who wait on the Lord will find renewed strength. As we wait, we are not just biding time; we are being transformed.

Patience is more than a virtue—it is the key to spiritual maturity and success. By learning to wait on God, we develop the faith needed to endure, to possess our souls, and to fulfill the purpose for which we were created. So, the next time you are tempted to rush ahead of God, remember: There is power in patience. Wait on the Lord, and in due time, He will bring His promises to pass.