We’ve all prayed it:
“God, give me patience. And make it fast!”
We laugh about it, but patience can be one of the hardest parts of following Jesus.
We tend to think of patience as simply waiting for something to change. But biblical patience is much deeper. It challenges not only how we wait, but how we think while we’re waiting.
And that’s where patience connects so beautifully with renewing our minds.
Patience Isn’t Passivity
Waiting doesn’t mean sitting around doing nothing while we hope God changes our circumstances.
James tells us that the testing of our faith produces patience—and that patience has a work to accomplish in us.
While we’re waiting, God is working.
Sometimes the thing that needs to change isn’t our circumstances.
Sometimes it’s us.
Renewing our minds means learning to see the waiting season differently. Instead of thinking, “Nothing is happening,” we can begin asking, “What is God doing in me while I wait?”
Patience Isn’t Pessimism
Waiting can also change the way we think about the future.
The longer we wait, the easier it becomes to assume that nothing good will happen.
We become cynical.
We lose hope.
We start thinking, “It’s probably not going to work out anyway.”
But biblical patience is connected to faith.
It says, “I don’t know how this will turn out, but I trust God with the outcome.”
That’s a completely different mindset.
And when our minds begin to change, something else changes too:
our identity.
We stop seeing ourselves as helpless victims of our circumstances and begin seeing ourselves as women who belong to Christ and can trust Him even when life is uncomfortable.
Patience Doesn’t Make You a Victim
Difficult people and difficult circumstances can make us feel trapped.
But patience doesn’t mean accepting everything as though we have no choices or boundaries.
Sometimes God uses difficult circumstances to teach us wisdom, grace, courage, boundaries, justice, or compassion.
Instead of continually asking, “Why is this happening to me?” we can begin asking:
“God, what do You want to do through me in this?”
That question changes everything.
The circumstance may not immediately change.
But our perspective can.
When God renews our minds, patience begins to look less like punishment and more like purpose.
The waiting isn’t necessarily wasted.
The frustration isn’t necessarily meaningless.
God can use the process to shape us into the woman He is calling us to become.
Read the full article: 3 Things That Do Not Define Patience →
🌿 Ready to Walk This Out?
Knowing what God says is one thing. Learning to live from that truth is another.
That’s why I created Walk With Me—a private daily Bible coaching experience where we take what we’re learning in God’s Word and put it into practice together.
If you’re ready to go beyond simply reading about renewing your mind and begin intentionally replacing old patterns of thinking with God’s truth, come walk with me.
👉 Join Walk With Me and let’s take the next step together.