Why I Want to Learn Patience on My Own

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.” Romans 5:3 and 4 [The Living Bible]
Patience is one of the fruits that the Holy Spirit develops in us as we grow as Christians.  It’s no fun going through the process of learning patience but the results are great.
Just as the verse says, I will definitely run into problems and trials.  Things will get messed up in my life.  I will feel like I’m in a hard place and can do nothing about it; at least not quickly. I will worry about how things will work out. Do you ever feel that way?
If I could choose I would tell God, “Never mind teaching me patience. That is one fruit I will learn on my own. “Another word for patience is perseverance. I have this fear of the process God will use to produce this fruit in me. I would rather teach myself patience the self help way. I would be easy on myself and probably come out weak.
I know God is growing patience in me right now.  I have my new book, A Christmas Present for Goliath, at the printers.  I am going in tomorrow to look over the layout.  There were many changes last time so I had to wait for the designer to re-do it.  Everything seems to take so much longer than I thought it would and my book launch is in two weeks.  At first I was even thinking of changing designers but fortunately for me I persevered with this designer and I believe I will get good results.
In the Nelson Study Bible’s footnotes I read that God loves us just the way we are but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are. That’s a good thought. God allows problems we can’t handle in our life.  It’s only when things in our life get very difficult and beyond our control that we begin to look to Him to help us.
 We learn to trust Him to fix it. As we pray and wait and do what He tells us to things turn around, however slowly.  We see that God has come through for us.  Next time this happens we trust Him a little more to help us and so patience becomes part of our character.
And that’s what God wants.  He wants to grow character in us so we are strong in our hope and faith in Him.