Sometimes it’s difficult to be patient. God promises good things for us in the future, but in the meantime, we deal with struggles, pains, and griefs, in the waiting. To see God’s promises, we require patience and endurance.
Yet, how do we develop this patience? First, we can pray for it when we need it. Second, we can remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness in our lives. And then be thankful for his work in the past and present. In light of his love, we can extend our thankfulness even into the future. This hope gives us strength and patience.
Here are 7 ways Thanksgiving can help you practice patience.
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1. Reflect on God’s Patience for Us
To begin with, we must reflect upon God’s incredible patience toward us, as seen in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God has shown us incredible patience with us through his mercy and grace, and being reminded of this, we gain a deeper understanding of how we should treat others. His longsuffering shows us his deep love and longing for us to come to him.
We often feel God is slow with us, yet this relies upon our understanding of time and the process. We didn’t deserve his love and sacrifice for our salvation and eternal good. He died for us while we were sinners, calling us to him even though we rejected him.
God waited upon us despite our mistakes and delays, leading us to Himself. When we express thankfulness for his immense grace, we naturally extend the same patience to others, shifting our perspective. Rather than reacting out of frustration, our thankfulness moves us to give others the space and time they need to grow, just as God does with us. Our gratitude leads to practicing grace, undergirding a heart that mirrors his.
With God’s longsuffering in mind, we can trust his provision and timing.
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2. Trust God’s Provision in Season
For each of us, we have experienced times when God provided us at the last minute or just the right time. Being thankful for his past provision helps us practice patience for the next season. Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:10:
“God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
The Father’s promise encourages us to believe that, even in times of lack, God proves faithful to give what we need. Not what we want or what we think we deserve but what we require. And the omniscient and all-good God knows exactly what is best for us. Looking at his past and current provision, gratitude becomes a way to shift our focus from anxiety to trust, even when we face uncertainty or feel the weight of unmet needs.
Remembering God’s past provision, we recall moments when God met our needs, many times in ways we didn’t expect but exactly when we needed it. My mentor used to tell me, “God is never late, but he’s rarely early.” Our gratitude for God’s faithfulness in provision strengthens our faith, allowing us to wait with hope for what is to come. Instead of being consumed by impatience or discouragement, even hopelessness, we learn to trust God’s perfect timing, and his provision will come at the right moment.
God’s plan is good, and his timing will be right. Through being thankful, we can wait obediently, even in our trials.
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3. Gratitude in Trials
No one likes trials. Companies make money by promising to make our lives easier, not more difficult. Yet Jesus promises we will have trouble following him (John 16:33). Fortunately, Christ also promises in that passage how he has overcome the world, encouraging us with his victory over all things.
During trials, thankfulness shifts our focus from the difficulty of the moment to God’s greater purpose working in us and our lives, as well as the lives of those around us. James 1:2-4 tells us to “consider it pure joy” when we face trials because these challenges test our faith and develop perseverance. Gratitude during challenging seasons allows us to embrace this truth, thanking God for the trial and the strength he gives us to endure.
A present, temporary trial doesn’t dismiss or diminish God’s promises, which are eternal, based on his word, which won’t return voice. Expressing gratitude and facing our difficulties, we recognize God remains with us, empowering us to endure and overcome, shifting our mindset from frustration to trust. Rather than resisting or becoming discouraged by the trials, we thank God for the ways he refines us, builds our character, and increases our faith through experience.
Just as God strengthens us in the present, he will sustain us in the future. The resulting peace and patience help us to serve others as Jesus served others.
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4. Serving Others
We can’t get peace or hope by focusing on ourselves. Our limited perspective and failing abilities lead us to more frustration and fear. Because he loves us, God calls us first to focus on him, the object of our faith and the one who gives us good things. Second, Jesus taught us to serve others. Again, we serve others with Christ’s strength, His Spirit, and not our own. Our thankfulness for his Holy Spirit strengthens us to be patient with those we serve. Galatians 5:22 describes the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, and patience. Serving others, we recognize the Spirit’s work within us, guiding us to serve with love and compassion. We then choose to show gratitude for him.
When we serve others, it’s easy to become frustrated or impatient, especially when our efforts seem unnoticed or unappreciated. However, being thankful for the fruit of the Spirit, we realize the patience we need doesn’t come from our own weakness but from his infinite power. Our thankfulness changes our attitude, and we serve with a patient heart, knowing God’s faithfulness to equip us to love and serve others with his love.
In service we realize we’re part of a greater plan. When we participate in his plan, we know we don’t work alone. Our efforts will bring fruit, even when we don’t see immediate results. Our secure hope is in the future.
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5. Be Thankful for the Future
Gratitude shifts our thinking from the immediate challenges of life to the eternal glory awaiting us. Since God guarantees our inheritance and reward according to his word, we can choose to be thankful for our secure and eternal future in Christ as if it were a finished work. Jesus spoke on the cross before his death, “It is finished.” (John 19:30). When God declares something finished, who can undo the work? No one.
Our hope rests not in temporary things but in the eternal victory Christ has already won. When we give thanks, we remember that no matter what we face, our future is secure. We don’t have to strive for what God promises us. In Christ, we can rest and be patient, knowing God’s timing is perfect and the reward secure.
Paul reminds us about our secure future. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). God sovereignly works in all circumstances, whether good or bad, for the ultimate good of those who trust their whole lives to him. Often, we don’t see God working, but he is. We wait for the unseen to become seen in our lives (Romans 8:25). This includes Christ’s reign in his Kingdom on earth, the New Heaven and Earth, and how we will reign with him as fellow sons and daughters.
Every tear was wiped away. Every suffering is overshadowed with unspeakable glory—all for those who cling to Christ. Thanks be to God.
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Originally published Monday, 30 September 2024.