As you read this, your patience will be tested.

1 Samuel 13:8-10

King James Version (KJV)

And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.



As I was preparing to write this piece, I took some days off to study the life of Saul. I discovered that prior to his appointment as the first king of Israel, as the scriptures reveal, he was a real gentleman. He was such a dependable young man upon whom his father could depend to seek out his lost asses.



Going a little into his genealogy, he was from the smallest tribe in Israel—Benjamin. Being a caring ‘choice young man’, he counted it not too much a sacrifice to seek for his father’s lost asses in up to 5 different places. (1 Samuel 9: 2-5). Even when it seemed as if there was no more hope of finding the lost asses, he still listened to his servant’s advice of visiting a man of God who could help in locating the lost asses. Saul, no doubt, was a ‘goodly man’.



However, as we study further on how impatience ruined the life, ministry and destiny of this promising young man, we must bear in mind that none is absolutely immunized against this destructive virus until he has learned the principles of life.



To start with, Saul, as we have seen was a good man. Left to him, he would not have taken upon himself so heavy a burden of leading a people who had frustrated even the great leader, Moses. Hence, on the day of his ordination, he took to his heels and hid in the stuff. Little wonder Solomon exclaimed in a rhetoric prayer to God: “… for who can judge this thy people, who is so great? What a lesson for contemporary Christian leaders! Friends, be careful, lest in your over-ambitiousness and position seeking, you lobby for that which will your greatest undoing! Perhaps, Saul would never have thought of intruding into the priest’s office if he had not been made king, for it was not the duty of the Benjamites to offer sacrifices unto God, but the Levites’. Leaders chosen by God should daily seek for grace to remain relevant in God’s sight by pleasing Him always lest the devil curse the anointing which be upon them and bind them with their own strengths.



Impatience, ‘lack of patience; intolerance of or irritability with anything that impedes or delays’, is not just a vice but a life-threatening one. It is unfortunately, one of the few evils that almost everyone seems to tolerate. If only Saul had waited a little longer! If only he had been patient enough for Samuel’s arrival! If only he had refused to come under the pressure of his emotions! If only he refused to be moved by what he saw and heard, but trusted only in God’s unfailing word. If only he had thought of sending a messenger to hear from Samuel what the next step should be. If only! If only!! If only!!!



Regrets! They have always been the usual ends of every impatient act. Everybody wants it now! Fast-food; fast-lane; fast-money; fast certificate. People no longer want to wait. I read of someone trying to advice his friend, ‘you have to learn patience’, he said. His friend answered, ‘Learn? I want to be patient now!’ What a tragedy! People no longer want to go through the process of development. The get-rich-quick syndrome has become epidemic. Even a basic school leaver wants to own a private jet.



Friend, I find it difficult to agree that the accidents on our roads are all as a result of bad roads. Think of the worst road-network you can imagine; no matter how rough the road is, 100 patient motorists can ply the road without having a scratch not to talk of a crash. Many people spend time drifting from lane to lane just because of impatience. Have you noticed that most times, the line begins to move just after you have left? Stick to your lane!



How about fast foods? Oh no! Some prefer buying a pie or dough to cooking a cup or two of rice or beans. ‘That will take time’ is the usual response. Yet, if you look beyond the immediate satisfaction, you will see that it costs more to be impatient.



Impatience costs more!



Those who think God is too slow and go ahead to settle themselves in marriage usually end with regrets. Both those of marriageable age and otherwise are concerned. What is a teenager’s business with marriage? Even those of marriageable age should be careful and patient lest they marry demon incarnates. Those who claim to have waited long enough for God to give them the fruit of the womb, and have gone to ask for children from trees and gods live their lives wishing they themselves were never born.



No one outruns God and ends the journey! They either fall by the way, wounded, or they crash forever.



Impatience can also be seen in some young men and women who have been anointed by God. They want to manifest now. They want their first miracle to be raising the dead. They want to become internationally known in their first week of entering into the ministry. They don’t have time for been trained and mentored. They are not convenient when they are not called upon to handle something in the church. They always want to be seen and known. They want to lead their own leaders. They want to outrun God. Such people end up in a big crash. You will not crash in Jesus’ name.



Young people who want quick money end up as drug pushers, armed or unarmed robbers, fraudsters and so on. 'But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.' 1Timothy 6:9. They soon lose them as they got them. ‘Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.’ Proverbs 23:5.



Impatience is seen in almost everything that almost everyone does. You are my witness. Your regrets have left some scars on your heart. Better opportunities have missed you when you took a short cut (if there is anything like that).



What then is the solution?



Learn the basic principles of life. For now, I will treat just one.



Look beyond the immediate. Be result-oriented. Don’t do things just because they have to be done. Carefully consider your options before you engage yourself in anything. Count the cost. No price should be counted too much to pay so as to get a lasting result.



Wouldn’t you prefer traveling for 3 hours and getting to your destination safely than travel for 30 minutes and crash at the gate of your house. Is it not better to marry late and have a good home than to marry at 22 and live the rest of your days in sorrow and regrets? Is it not better to be poor and live long or be rich later in life than to become a millionaire at 25 and die of heart attack at 30? Is it not wiser to wait for God’s time to have children than to ask them from demons and ‘bring forth for trouble’? Is it not far better to forfeit the pleasures of the world and gain eternal life with indescribable mansions in heaven than to ‘gain the whole world’ (if possible) and ‘lose your own soul’? Oh! My dear friend, does not wisdom tell you that how long your product lasts is more prestigious than how soon it is formed?



If you want to be successful in life, you must learn patience. Stop! Think! Wait! ‘Look before you leap’ has almost become a cliché.



STOP! When you get to a cross-road, you don’t just stubbornly walk the smoothest path. What you should do is stop. There are cross-roads in life, maybe you are at one now, just stop.



THINK! Every thoughtless action is a seed of regret. Think about your options. Be result-oriented. Choose the one that will give you a lasting product rather than a quick satisfaction.



WAIT! This is where many fail. They cannot wait. ‘For how long do I have to wait?’, you may ask. For as long as God wants you to, I say. Just when you think you have waited long enough, decide to wait a little longer, and a little longer, and a little longer. Remember, it was as soon as Saul finished sacrificing that Samuel arrived. What if he had delayed a little longer?



Haste makes waste. A great haste-r is a great waster! Life is precious. Don’t waste your life; don’t destroy your destiny; don’t ruin your future. WAIT!



“And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6: 11,12.



Here is something I don’t usually do, but for those who cared to read to the end, pray these prayers for yourself:

Dear God,

Deliver me from the spirit of haste

Uproot out of me every seed of impatience.

Plant in me the seed of patience

Give me the grace to wait.


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John Kehinde Ogunjimi

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A timely message. Many people try to bribe their way out, just to get ahead, forgetting that heaven is a prepared place for prepared people, there is time for preparation and it takes time, how many people are willing to wait, if we fail to pass through the period of preparation, then we are not worthy, we will not last. We need to pray for the grace to be patient. God will help us.

God bless you.
God2man.