Genesis 30:1 Rachel noticed that she was not bearing children for Jacob, so because she envied her sister Leah, she told Jacob, “If you don’t give me sons, I’m going to die!
Waiting makes the heart grow faint and frustration fades away our faith. Psychologist Sarah Schnitker, in her research on ‘waiting’ states that there are three kinds of patience: interpersonal patience (having patience with other people), daily hassle patience (waiting without agitation in long queues or in a traffic jam), and life hardship patience (being able to wait tough times without giving up). Apparently anxiety about ‘a wait’ focuses our attention on the wait itself causing it to feel longer than it should. There is a fascinating study that the scientists in Japan have performed with trained rats and mice to perform a task that involved a long period of waiting in order to receive a treat. The longer the rats waited, the more cells lit up in an area of the brain. The resilience to be patient without being agitated bolsters emotional stability.
Rachel, the favorite wife of Jacob, was barren for 14 years while her sister Leah kept reproducing babies like rabbits. (Did you know that rabbits have a short gestation period, between 25 and 28 days, which means they can have several litters of babies each year). Watching her sister have babies made Rachel envious and impatient. Envy is a negative emotion that sprouts from the dissatisfaction in our own lives. It can manifest as feelings of hostility, inferiority, bitter resentment or even depression. In the fit of envy and frustration Rachel spoke herself into depression “If you don’t give me sons, I’m going to die! Soon after, her self-proclaimed curse came to pass and she died early at the birth of her second child. Emotional instability causes toxic thinking and tarnishes the tongue. Improper confession and impromptu professions can entangle us in unnecessary trouble.
Three tips to emotional stability:
1. Proclaim: Confession and proclamation of the promises of God activates angelic intervention. Let them be like chaff in the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away (Psalm 35:5) Proclamations of promises are not just vain repetition. Proclamations employ the combat angels to fight on our behalf.
2. Pivot: Go to the root of the issue. There will be a root cause that provokes us emotionally. For Rachel it was comparison and envy. For others it could be the opinions, pride, popularity, prominence or even money. Once the pivoting precision is identified then, it is easier to calm ourselves down. Pivot on the promises of God.
3. Persevere: While patience is the ability to endure delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious perseverance is remaining steadfast in faith in the midst of discouragements. But whoever will persevere until the end will have life (Matthew 24:13). We are one day closer to our breakthrough every morning. God will never be too late and He is never too early. Preserve, don’t give up.
The well matured fruit of patience manifests as emotional stability.
Colossians 3:12 Put on then…compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
Prayer: Heavenly Father, may the concerns of my life pivot on your promises and not on the propagation of the world. Teach me to rest from impatience and trust you fully. Amen
Leave a Reply