Impatience Can bring problems

Abraham and Sarah. AI Art by LeQuita

Did you know impatience can bring problems?

Genesis chapter 16 gives us an interesting story about Abraham and Sarah. In the previous chapters, God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:5, Genesis 16:5) However, the couple couldn’t help but to remind God that they were up in age to bare any children. But there is no need to remind God of something he already knows. They were only given the task to believe God’s promise would happen.

Despite God’s repeated reminder, Sarah grew anxious again and gave an unwise suggestion to her husband. She decided to give Abram her maid named Hagar to be his second wife. She urged him to have his children by her to fulfill God’s promise unto them. Do you see how this can go wrong in many ways?

See God had blessed their marriage between husband and wife and knew the best time for them to bare a child. But they allowed their worry and doubt to transform into anxiety which prompted impatience. The Word of God advises us to wait on the Lord for all things, even when we grow doubtful. (Psalm 37:7, Isaiah 40:31) It’s not that we have doubt about God’s power and faithfulness. Believers of God usually doubt our own abilities or find ourselves unable to comprehend or visualize God’s plan. Being humans of flesh and sin, our mindsets can only get us so far in life. Remember God’s nature and how he thinks surpasses our own. He sees, hears, and orchestrates events and people around us which we are unable to witness mainly for our own benefits. Those eternal benefits stored in his promises such as protecting us from harm. This is why trusting in God and having patience grows our faith and tolerance in him. (1 Samuel 16:7)

When Hagar became pregnant, it brought anger and jealousy within Sarah which resulted in a cruel physical punishment towards Hagar. (Proverbs 27:4) Being that Hagar was owned by Sarah and obeyed her commands, she was scorned, victimized, and exiled. But the Word tells us that God found favor and love in Hagar and blessed her, her unborn child, and took care of her. Whether Sarah and Abraham learned their lesson about the problems they would face when being impatient, we can learn from it.

God’s timing is not our timing. Perhaps that time was not the best for the couple to have a child. Perhaps God saw they were not ready for his ultimate plan. What we do know, is that God’s mercies are abundant unto the impatient and those treated unfairly.

So, if you have plans, dreams, and goals for your future, take them before the Lord daily. Pray and never faint, for the Lord hears us and will abide if it’s in his will. (Luke 18:1) His divine will always beat our own. Continue to listen to what God tells you so you can recognize when a door of opportunity has opened. Don’t settle with impatience. Trust in his precious son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Seek God’s power of patience because as we can see in Abraham and Sarah’s situation, God has an abundance of patience to distribute down to us. (2 Peter 3:9)

Trust, believe, and have faith in God’s timing. The outcome will be worth the wait.

Do you pray for patience daily? Have you found yourself in a situation where you were impatient? Share your thoughts in the comments. Tell us your testimony or share encouragements.

Thank you for reading!

Written by Minister LeQuita