Patience in the Bible: Hope for When You Are Anxious, Worried, and Stressed
God’s message to us of patience in the Bible speaks directly to our hurried souls. We want what we want when we want it. He offers us wisdom for those moments when waiting feels impossible. God also offers wisdom when holding our tongues seems beyond our strength. He is there when our hearts ache because of dreams that have fallen apart.
In this fifth post in our series exploring the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit, our guest writer, Dawn Ward, opens her life to us with beautiful honesty. As a mom who once equated waiting with worry, Dawn’s story resonates with anyone who’s ever checked their watch and whispered, “How much longer, Lord?” Through Joseph’s 22-year wait and her own seasons of uncertainty, Dawn reminds us that patience isn’t just something we muster up through gritted teeth. Instead, it’s what naturally grows when God’s Spirit lives within us. Her words feel like sitting with a trusted friend who understands the struggle but gently points us back to hope.
Finding Patience in an Upside-Down World
Are you familiar with the saying, “Patience is a virtue?” Growing up, I believed some people were naturally patient, while others were born innately impatient and restless. My parents were not patient people, nor did they raise patient kids. Because I grew up in a volatile home, waiting brought with it a sense of anxiousness and stress.
Would my father come home late after having a few too many drinks? Would my parents argue with each other? Even when Dad made it home on time for dinner, I still worried about what the evening held in store for our family. Rather than waiting with anticipation, I equated waiting with apprehension and a sense of impending doom.
When I married and began raising children of my own, I carried the characteristics of impatience and worry into my marriage and mothering. Although I believed the Lord heard my prayers and I trusted Him to answer them, waiting was the hardest part for me. While I waited impatiently, I languished over the possibility of a negative outcome. When a trial came my way, I needed the answer, and I needed it now!
I longed to be a patient person. Yet, my mind’s incessant worrying meant that I pleaded with God, nagged my husband, and tried to fix the problem myself. How grateful I was that the Lord saw me in my desperate condition. He began His transforming work in my stressed-out heart and mind.
Patience in the Bible: Finding Jesus
Through this transformative period in my life, Jesus taught me to rely on His word and trust in His promises. This was true even if the answers didn’t come as quickly as I would have hoped. Along the way, I learned to search the Bible for answers to overcoming the anxiety that was my constant companion. Within its pages, I found several uplifting Bible verses on patience that renewed my mind and transformed my anxious heart. For starters, I learned that patience is more than simply a virtue. It is a fruit of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control…” Galatians 5:22-23 ESV
Why Patience is More Than Just a Virtue
Webster’s Dictionary describes virtue as “a conformity to a standard of right: morality, moral excellence, a beneficial quality or power of a thing, or manly strength or courage, a commendable quality or trait.”
From this definition, we can draw the conclusion that patience is something we acquire, rather than a characteristic we are born with.
For example, who has not observed a young child throwing a fit in the store because their mother said they had to wait until after dinner to eat their candy? Maybe like me, you lacked self-control and could not wait until Christmas morning to unwrap your presents. Sneakily, I tried to guess the contents of a package by shaking it. I also tried carefully lifting the tape and paper to take a peek inside.
For me, patience is definitely not a virtue! Becoming patient is only possible by living in the power of the living God. Gratefully, as Christ’s followers, we have His Spirit dwelling in us. Patience is the result of God’s divine presence within us.
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwell in you? -1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV
Because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we can wait patiently, in absolute surrender to Him. This occurs even when we face stressful situations that would normally cause us to feel anxious or worried. As we learn to focus on the Lord, rather than our problems, He will transform our anxious hearts. He will replace worry with patience and peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Patience in the Bible: Joseph’s Example of Learning to Be Patient in Our Trials
When we are facing trials that seem to last forever, we can struggle with feelings of restlessness and despair. I have gone through trials that seemed like they might never end. Many times I felt like giving up. My Bible was a rich source of encouragement as I learned to wait patiently. This was especially true during those days when I wondered if my trial would ever end.
One story that stood out to me was about Joseph, a man who waited many years to see the promises of God fulfilled in his life. Beginning in Genesis 37, we read that as a teenager, he received a multi-color coat from his father because he was his favorite son. Sadly, Joseph’s circumstances were about to change for the worse. One night, Joseph had a dream that his brothers would someday bow down to him. Upon sharing his dream with them, they became enraged and sold him into slavery under Egypt’s Pharaoh.
It would be 22 years before Joseph finally saw the fulfillment of his dream. During that time, he could have justifiably become impatient and lost hope of ever experiencing freedom again. He could also have easily lost hope of ever seeing his dream come to fruition. However, after all his pain, rejection, and waiting, Joseph’s dream finally came true. Due to the position of authority he achieved in Pharaoh’s palace, he was able to save his family from a great famine in the land.
What I admire is how Joseph patiently endured intense hardship. He trusted God while he waited.
“His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, ‘Behold, we are your servants.’ But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
Through the eyes of faith, Joseph could see the Lord’s hand upon his life even in the harshest of times. I desire to wait patiently when trials come my way, just as he did.
5 Ways the Bible Teaches Us About Patience
These five uplifting Bible verses about patience have helped transform my anxious heart during stressful times in my life. Patience does that. It transforms us while we wait. These verses help us pause, praise, pray, ponder, and practice living patiently. This includes moments when our own patience is wearing thin.
- Pause: “I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1 ESV
- Praise: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12 ESV
- Pray: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 NIV - Ponder: “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.” Psalm 77:11-12 ESV
- Practice: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, and patience,” Colossians 3:12 ESV
Never forget the gift God has given us in the Holy Spirit. How blessed we are to have His presence in our lives. Because of the fruit of patience, we will no longer face our trials with anxiety in our hearts. Instead, we will wait patiently in the peace only Jesus can give.
About the Author
Dawn Ward is an author, speaker, Bible teacher, and certified Biblical life coach. She founded The Faith to Flourish, a ministry offering support and encouragement to women with addicted loved ones. The ministry equips all women of faith to live transformed lives through inspiring teachings, mentoring, and biblical resources. She is married to Steve and is a mom to three adult children. Her book, From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children, published in September 2024, is now available.
You can also connect with Dawn on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Want to Catch Up on the Whole Series?
- 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Timeless Gifts for Your Messy Life
- Love God Love People the Way You Were Meant To (Before Exhaustion Hits)
- How the Joy of the Lord is Our Strength
- Peace That Surpasses All Understanding: A Gift in the Chaos
- Patience in the Bible: Hope for When You Are Anxious, Worried, and Stressed
- Why Kindness in the Bible Comes From Surrendering, Not Trying Harder
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