Dharius Daniels - 3 Keys to Becoming a More Patient Person

I know you’ve heard this said before, but I think I want to share it with you because it bears repeating: great things come to those who wait. Yes, sometimes progress or possession of promises requires patience. However, it is one thing to know that I need to wait or that I need to have patience; it’s another thing to learn how to actually have it, right? So in this video, I want to teach you three keys to becoming a more patient person.

I was reading this book recently, and I came across a quote that really rocked my world in a sense. I want to share it with you. It’s a quote on patience, and this is what the author said: «Almost every unkind word we’ve spoken or unwise decision we’ve made could have been avoided or dramatically reduced if we had been more patient.» I’ll say it again: almost every unkind word we’ve spoken or unwise decision we’ve made could have been avoided or dramatically reduced if we had been more patient. When I look back over my life, I’m like, «Yeah, that resonates with me.» There’s a scripture in Proverbs that says, «He who acts impulsively exalts folly.» It means that my likelihood of making unwise, unhelpful, or unhealthy decisions increases when I act impulsively. I believe it is key and critical for anyone who wants to progress, who wants to walk in purpose, and who wants to reach and maximize their potential to develop this attitude of patience.

Now, when I say patience, I think it conjures up a number of different thoughts. When I say patience, I’m not talking about an emotion; I don’t think patience is an emotion. I believe patience is more of an attitude. Patience is the ability to arrest the impulse to act impatiently while dealing with the frustration of being delayed. I’ll say that again: patience is the ability to arrest the impulse to act impatiently while dealing with the frustration of being delayed. It is an attitude that acknowledges I’m agitated by having to wait, but I refuse to act out of that agitation. I don’t know about you, but if I’m at the airport and my flight is delayed, I am agitated. Yes, I want to go home; I want to go home! So I’m going to try to fix that feeling. I’m agitated; I want to go home. Sometimes we want what we want, and we want it when we want it. So being patient isn’t about eliminating that feeling; rather, being patient is about developing an attitude that acknowledges how you feel but refuses to act out of those feelings. It doesn’t deny what you want; it recognizes that you want it now. But it is a commitment to say, «I refuse to act unwisely and impulsively to get it,» because almost every unkind word we’ve spoken or unwise decision we made could have been avoided or dramatically reduced if we had been more patient.

So here’s the key question: how do we become more patient? I want to give you three keys because I believe there are keys that unlock the door to greater patience. With what God is going to do in your life, I’m telling you it’s going to require some patience because some things are going to come much sooner than you expect, and some things are going to take much longer than you anticipated. So greater patience on the back end means greater things on the front end. Practically, what does that mean? If I want to have greater patience, I need greater faith. That’s the first key: greater patience requires greater faith.

When I say greater faith, this is what I mean: I don’t mean bigger faith. The Scriptures teach that if I have faith the size of a mustard seed, I can move mountains. So the question isn’t about how big my faith is; I’m not talking about big faith; I’m talking about broad faith. Abraham is called a man of faith, yet he struggled with patience. We know he struggled with patience because when it was taking God what Abraham believed to be an extended period to conceive and give birth to Isaac, Abraham and Sarah concocted a plan with Hagar. As a result, they ended up with Ishmael. Ishmael is the evidence of impatience; it’s what you get when you don’t wait. So how can a man of faith—Abraham is called the father of faith—yet still struggle with patience? Because there’s a difference between strong faith and long faith. Sometimes the question isn’t how big can I believe; sometimes the question is how long can I believe, and can I keep on believing when it seems like believing isn’t working?

Here’s one of my favorite Scriptures, guys: Hebrews 10:36 states, «You need to persevere so that when you’ve done the will of God, you will receive what is promised.» Here’s another translation: «You have need of patience so that after you’ve done the will of God, you receive what he’s promised.» The writer is saying that I need patience because there will be a time period between accomplishing the will and God bringing manifestation into my life. So he says, «I need patience there.» Therefore, I can’t have greater patience if I’m not developing greater faith. And faith only comes by inundating myself with the word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God. So here’s my question for you: What’s your word regimen like?