Patience is defined as the ability to endure delay, trouble, pain or hardship.

The simplicity of its

definition does not come close to what patience really is. Patience is the state of endurance under difficult
circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on
annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced
with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one's character can take before negativity. It
is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast. These definitions help us understand what
patience is but it is just a small part of what it really is.

St Teresa of Avila, Mevlana Rumi, Adel Bestavros, Titus Maccius Plautus and many more have
said so much about patience, about how we use it, its benefits and all that we could think of about patience,
they already thought about it. Even the Bible, the holy book of Christians have said so much about it, about
how God’s patience saved us to how man’s patience forgive our enemies.

In Christian religion, patience is one of the most valuable virtues of life. Increasing patience is
viewed as the work of the Holy Ghost in the Christian who has accepted the gift of salvation. While patience
is not one of the traditional biblical three theological virtues or one of the traditional four cardinal virtues, it is
one of the seven virtues, alongside chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness, and humility. You
cannot be kind if you are not patient with a person in need. You can’t show charity if you do not have the
patience to understand a suffering person. Pride will come in if you are not patient with a person who has
done something wrong. With every virtue, patience always tags along.

According to R. Albert Mohler, Jr., he has said that in today’s fast-paced society and self-centered
culture, patience is quickly disappearing, even among Christians. Patience is not optional for the Christian.
The apostle Paul repeatedly commanded Christians to demonstrate patience to each other. In fact, this is
a critical test of Christian authenticity. True Christian character, the very evidence of regeneration, is seen
in authentic patience.

The Bible’s understanding of patience as a Christian virtue is rooted in the totality of Christian truth.
Patience begins with the affirmation that God is sovereign and in control of human history, working in
human lives. With eternity on the horizon, time takes on an entirely new significance. The Christian
understands that full satisfaction will never be achieved in this life, but he looks to the consummation of all
things in the age to come. Furthermore, we know that our sanctification will be incomplete in this life, and
thus Christians must look to each other as fellow sinners saved by grace, in whom the Holy Spirit is at work
calling us unto Christlikeness.

Patience is a gift from God but it is also a command. Patience is a divine gift because ham cannot
really achieve patience themselves because true patience is a fruit of the spirit. St.   Augustine, the great
bishop of the fourth century, warned that Christians must avoid the “false patience of the proud.”  
Augustine castigated those who attribute patience merely “to the strength of the human will.”  We must
indeed will to be patient, but patience as a genuine virtue comes only to those who have been redeemed by
Christ and in whom the Holy Spirit is calling forth the fruit of the Spirit. As with all Christian virtues, we are
obligated under the command of God to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, of which patience is a vital part.
As a command, we are obligated under the command of God to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, of which
patience is a vital part.  The biblical portrait of patience is not that of mere acquiescence or of facile biding
the time, much less is patience seen inexcusable action.  To the contrary, patience is a vibrant and virile
Christian virtue, which is deeply rooted in the Christian’s absolute confidence in the sovereignty of God and
God’s promise to bring all things to completion in a way that most fully demonstrates His glory.

There is a proverb that goes “all good things come to those who wait.” It is a well known saying
which holds a lot of truth. But, I have come to learn, it is a saying that is flawed, in that it is incomplete.
Waiting alone is not enough. Good things do not come to those who wait. Good things come to those who
wait, but who also actively do something about their situation whilst they are waiting. If waiting was all it
took to have good things in life everyone could achieve their dreams because waiting is effortless. Good
things rarely come effortlessly. So if you are simply being passive and patiently waiting for a brighter
tomorrow you need to think twice about your strategy. Patience goes hand in hand with consistent action. It
is easy to be patient when you are doing something about your situation because then you are in control
and you are able to determine the progress made despite the seeming lack of tangible results.