But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:4) We hate to wait. We hate it. We’d rather figure out another plan, or drop the whole thing if we have to wait one more hour, one more day, week, month, year. But God said to let patience have its perfect work. Why? If you short cut your way to your goal, you may or may not get there. And if you do, it won’t be what it would have been if you’d been patient. In other words, if you can’t be patient, the thing you’re waiting for won’t be what it was supposed to be.

God always knows right where our impatient button is. It’s different on everyone. He may hold out your answer just past you’re comfort zone just to see if you’ll wait for Him. If you can’t be patient, you lose. If you can, you’ll be amazed at what comes your way. Patience aligns you with God’s timing and His plans for you. Yes, you may be able to achieve something passable without waiting, but if you do wait, you’ll see how much better God’s plans for you are than what you’d plan for yourself.

And there’s more. Not only will you see God do more for you than you could do, you’ll be made perfect and complete, lacking nothing. That comes by setting down your own desires for instant gratification and submitting yourself to God’s timing. It changes you. Patience becomes easier every time you submit to Him. You are made more and more perfect.

Because patience is so powerful to bring about the changes we need, impatience can be deadly. The enemy knows exactly what God will do through a patient person, so he works hard to get you to act now rather than wait. He wants to rob you of the blessing that patience will bring. When you see that happening, resist the devil and he will leave. Embrace patience and wait for the fullness of what is yours. Allow God to change you in the way only patience can. You’ll be so glad that you did.