Latest / Grounded Growth / Patience When You're Stretched Thin
Transcript
- Stephanie Petry: Hi, welcome to. Nicole Ghirardi: Hi, welcome to Grounded Growth Podcast. I'm Nicole Girardi. And I'm Stephanie Petrie. We believe that grounded growth comes from being intentional about compassionate connections that are beautifully balanced while flourishing in faithfulness. Each week we will share real conversations, encouragement, and simple systems to help build a life that feels steady, aligned, and grounded. So sit back, maybe grab a coffee, and join us where clarity meets calm and growth feels intentional. Stephanie Petry: And I'm Stephanie Petrie. We believe that grounded growth comes from being intentional about compassionate connections that are beautifully balanced while flourishing in faithfulness. Each week we will share real conversations, encouragement, and simple systems to help build a life that feels steady, aligned, and grounded. So sit back, maybe grab a coffee, and join us where clarity meets calm and growth feels intentional. Before we dive in, if you want to make sure you never miss a conversation, hit that subscribe or follow button. Nicole Ghirardi: Before we dive in, if you want to make sure you never miss a conversation, hit that subscribe or follow button Stephanie Petry: right now on whatever app you're listening on. Nicole Ghirardi: right now on whatever app you're listening on. Welcome back. I'm Stephanie Petrie, Nicole Girardi. today we are continuing our fruit that last series by talking about one of the fruits that probably gets tested more than any other. Patience. Yeah. When we hear the word patience, we often think about waiting in traffic or standing in long lines or trying not to lose our temper with our kids. Uh-huh. No, But biblical patience is so much deeper than simply waiting well. it's about trusting God's timing while he is doing his work in us. I've learned that some of the hardest seasons of my life weren't interruptions of God's plan. They were actually his classroom for me. the Lord has used seasons of uncertainty, suffering, unanswered prayers, and unmet expectations to expose my pride, my desire for control, and my tendency to want everything fixed right now. and while I wouldn't have chosen many of those seasons. I can honestly say that they drew me closer to Christ than comfort ever would. Laura Story, an author and Christian artist, wrote when God doesn't fix it in regards to her husband's brain tumor, and that brokenness isn't simply something to escape. God uses it to teach us patience, grace, dependence, and perseverance, and that he wastes nothing. Patience isn't passive. It's active trust. Yeah. It's I put that on a coffee mug. Patience isn't passive. It is active trust. It's believing that even when I can't see God working, he never stops working. And today we're going to talk about what biblical patience really is and why it is so difficult. How Jesus modeled it. perfectly and how we can begin growing this fruit through the Holy Spirit. Patience sounds beautiful in theory, but if we're honest, it usually grows in the exact places we would rather avoid. So let's start by asking what does patience when you're stretched thin actually mean? Whew, so biblical patience is not simply waiting longer. It's trusting God while we wait. So patience is rooted in hope, not circumstances. Scripture reminds us that our story isn't finished yet. we live between what Christ has already accomplished and what he has promised is still to come. That's the already not yet. So we already know that Christ accomplished all for our salvation, but we are not. Glorified yet. We are not in heaven yet. So we still have promises that are to come, which gives us hope, but it also is not yet here. I love how identity theft, this is a book that's written by multiple authors, reflects on our salvation through the lens of who God was, who God is, and who God is to come. and so we have been justified. We were needing justification and we Are being sanctified. We are growing in our image of as being Christ bearers. and we will be glorified with him in heaven. This provides assurance of faith, patience in the progress of faith, and also our eternal hope that I was talking about. That gives us patience because we know that God is faithfully finishing what he has started. Romans 8, it reminds us that. Creation even is groaning and waiting just like we are. So we are in a broken world. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, it gave us our sinful nature as humankind. And it wasn't just our separation from God, but it was also creation, creation separation from God. And so when God saw that, it was not a dilemma for him. He was a he already had the plan of Jesus in place for us. And so Jesus is what reconciled that relationship, that separation, and brought us back to God the Father with his righteousness for taking on our sin. And so I just wanted to say that when we have the creation groaning and waiting, just like we are, that hope of promises to come is even in the creation, even in nature. Patience isn't weakness. Patience is confidence that God's timing is better than ours. So I used to think patience was just gritting my teeth until the hard things passed. What I'm learning is that real patience is trusting God in the middle of the waiting and not just surviving until it's over. when I read about Joseph, it hits me that years pass between the dream God gave him and the day it came true. The pit, the potifur's house, the prison. God was not absent in any of it. He was working the whole time, even when Joseph could not see it. So for me, patience when I am stretched thin means believing God is doing something in the weights that he could not do any other way. It is not passive, it is holding on to who God is. When I cannot yet see what he is doing. That's good. If patience is rooted in trust, then it makes sense that it's hardest whenever our trust is being tested. So why is patience so hard to live out? Honestly, patience is hard for me because I like to be the one who fixes the things. And I like it fixed now, not later. Okay. So I think of Sarah. Who got tired of waiting on God's promise and tried to help the plan along in her own way. I do that more than I want to admit. I think we all do. I feel like as moms, like we have to plan. and grabbing the reins the moment the waiting feels too long. so my impatience usually shows up first, but the people I love the most go figure. I feel like this is a trend for me. Poor my poor family gets the brunt of everything. my kids and my husband, the ones who get the tired version of me at the end of the day is them too. And when I'm running on empty, patience is the first thing to go out the window. that is usually my sign that I have been carrying the weight in my own strength instead of handing it back to God. That's great. And I know your tips are coming, but I so want you to share them now because it it's like, we're at this clip of not so great, but we we have answers for you in a bit. so we're focusing on why it's so hard. Why is patience so hard to live out? we naturally want immediate answers and immediate relief. Our culture celebrates speed and efficiency and instant gratification, but God's kingdom often grows. Very slow. And much of my impatience comes from wanting control instead of surrender. sometimes I'm not actually waiting on God. I just keep doing the things. I'm waiting for God to agree with my timeline, if I'm being honest. And James reminds us to be patient like the farmer who waits for the harvest. Growth is happening long before it is visible. Once upon a time, I started gardening and that is a whole world and itself. And I did it for a year. And then I realized I was not able to give the time and effort needed to continue that way of living. and so this but I will say it did teach me a lot more about the illustrations in the Bible about growing and harvesting and Understanding that the growth really starts in the roots and watching it grow and watching things having to be pruned. Anyway, so that was just a rabbit hole. Sorry. we also struggle because we expect unbelievers to live like believers. This one's been really heavy on my heart lately. one thing God has really been teaching me is that people who don't know Christ, they don't Have the Holy Spirit transforming them. Instead of responding with frustration or judgment, we're called to respond with compassion, truth, and patience. It doesn't mean that I'm not still sharing biblical truth with this person, but my expectation needs to shift because they do not have the ears to hear or the eyes to see. and it doesn't mean that I need to edit myself and my belief system, but it does mean that I need to be a little more gentle and I need to hold myself a little more accountable of the frustration and judgment that I might want to go to. God has been incredibly patient with me. And and it has taken many years for me to even come to faith. And I was. 29 years old when I came to faith. and it and and even just watching, I was just telling Nicole, going through my notes on the fruit of the spirit, I did it back in 2020. And to see what my focuses were and how I would talk to God are so different back then than they are now. and being able to see that sanctification, that growth in faith. has been really beautiful to see, but it's also been very enlightening to me as I'm helping others who are maybe newer in their faith or questioning Christianity. So it's it's been humbling too. how can I not extend that same patience to others when I have gotten the incredible patience of the Lord? And when we don't slow down enough to trust God, impatience begins affecting every relationship around us. So what does it look like when our patience runs out? I feel like we all know what this looks like a little too much. Yeah, I agree. Yes. So this is just a reminder. Thank goodness we didn't have our kids on this one. We become defin I become reactive. Yeah. instead of prayerful. and you said it in last episode of just pausing. and And that is really what needs to happen. We interrupt instead of listen. David Mathis, which by the way, don't know why I haven't given you this book yet. It's called Habits of Grace. Fantastic read. I probably have read this book more than any other book I have read. But it's fantastic. So David Mathis is the author, and he reminds us that good listening is one of the Greatest acts of love that we can give. James 1:19 tells us to be quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger. And patience often reveals that we've already decided what someone is going to say before they even finish saying it. Listening with the intent to respond instead of listening with the intent to understand. so good listening requires humility. It asks perspective questions, clarifying questions instead of rushing towards solutions. Sometimes people don't need immediate advice either. They need just someone who patiently listens. So that's another thing I've been learning and and really trying to practice is what is it that this person is asking of me? and they don't always specify, so ask them. Just ask them. Like, hey, are you wanting some advice or do you just want me to sit in it with you right now? Stephanie's really good at that lately. It's like, do you want my opinion or do you just do you just want me to listen? and we also lose hope when our circumstances don't change quickly. but God's delays are never God's absence. So go figure my patience running out means that I'm snapping over something small. it it's hard and it's it's then that feeling that pain of regret before I even finish this sentence. It's like, man, I shouldn't have said this, but I said it and I already regret it. I think about Moses, who led the people faithfully for so long, and yet in one worn down moment, he struck the rock and rock instead of speaking to it. even the most patient among us have a limit when we are stretched too thin. So it's not just us. It's not just one person. Everyone goes through this. And it can look like rushing my kids through a moment that they needed need to slow down for. I feel like this is dinner every night. And that I have this great plan. We're gonna talk about all the good things that happen throughout the day and introduce family worship. And then it's the Girardies eat so late anyway. So it's 7 30 and like we have theater camp the next day, and you know, and then it just starts getting retched. And I wasn't, I wasn't taking the moment that I needed to and really spending it with them. Or it's answering before I've really listened. I have gotten a lot better at this, but I am not problem solver and I want to fix your problem. And I don't then listen to everything, so then I'm missing a whole part of a situation that is meaningful to you and that I wasn't listening to. because I have already decided how the conversation ends. And I have to stop doing it. And I know that we all struggle with that because it's not that we're trying to be rude and to rush a conversation. We are just trying to be helpful. And that is, you know, something that we have to sit back and listen to. what steadies me is remembering that God is patient with me on the very days that I have none left to give to anyone. His patience does not run out when mine do mine does. Thankfully, we don't have to figure patience out on our own. Jesus has already shown us exactly what it looks like. So what does Jesus show us about this patience? Well, let's dive into scripture. we've got Second Peter chapter three, verse nine. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. the picture that gets me is Jesus with his disciples. They misunderstood him over and over, argued about who was the greatest and fell asleep when he asked them to pray. And he kept teaching them anyways. and I think of how he waited two extra days before going to Lazarus and how Mary and Martha did not understand the delay whatsoever. So from the outside it looked like he was too late. He was never late. He was doing something they could just not see yet. And even with the clouds pressing in, Jesus was never frantic. He still had time for the one person in front of him, like the woman who reached out for his robe while he was on his way somewhere else. His patience with me is the reason I have anything to offer to anyone else. And I can be patient because he has been patient with me first. I'm just thinking of. the weight that Jesus did after Lazarus' death. and how it was purposeful basically what he says is so that my father may be glorified. Because he knew that when he arrived to Bethany, he was gonna raise Lazarus from that tomb. No one else had an idea. Right. so I just think like had he gone when he got the message that Lazarus was sick and dying, that wouldn't have happened. Right. So he knew that even though it wasn't a favorable outcome for a family he loved dearly, he knew a better plan. And there is purpose in pain, and there is purpose in patience. Jesus demonstrates. Unbelievable patience towards sinners. this is including us. Every day I wake up because God continues extending his mercy. his patience isn't weakness, his patience is grace making room for repentance. So when we do react, when we do say the thing that we regret. We need to repent. We need to ask for forgiveness to that person we just wronged. We need to take that breath, even if we don't have the right words or the patience in that moment and just say, I'm sorry, I just I can't have this conversation right now. And you need to go take a break. You need to go take a pause and come back to it. throughout the gospels, Jesus patiently taught his disciples, like you said, even though they misunderstood him repeatedly. And knowing what we know now. know, after Christ's resurrection, like we're like, how did they not know? Right. You want to shake them and wake them and we're just as ignorant. I mean, how many times do we have to be reminded of our own impatience? he patiently restored Peter after failure and he patiently endured suffering for our salvation. If Jesus has shown that kind of patience toward me, then Can extend that patience to others. Our patience flows from experiencing his patience first. Just like love. the more amazed we are by God's grace towards us, the more gracious we'll become towards others. And the beautiful thing about the fruit of the spirit is that God never commands us to manufacture it ourselves. He grows it as we walk with him. So finally, some practical tips and tricks for you. And Steph, share, share yours first. Okay. So start seeing interruptions as opportunities for spiritual formation instead of obstacles. so when you know, I talk about this with my time blocking and I have a certain time to get certain things done. But when I'm being interrupted, I'm able to see that as an opportunity. And I don't know what it's gonna lead to. Before reacting, you need to ask, Lord, what are you teaching me here? How is it that you're wanting me to respond? practice becoming a better listener. Listen to understand instead of listening to respond. ask those perspective questions to offer affirmation. Before advice is another piece to that. Remember that sanctification is slow. Remember, sanctification is our journey in this Christian life. And it's going to go up and down like a roller coaster. It is how we are becoming more and more Christ-like. And so it is a slow process. Extend to others the same grace you're receiving from Christ. Keep external perspective. like this bird eyes view almost. and so what I mean is Hebrews reminds us that God never overlooks our faithfulness even when growth feels slow. So sometimes we're just in the here and now. whereas we need to look at the the bigger story. be patient with your children, your spouse, your coworkers, unbelievers, and maybe the hardest of all, be patient with yourself while God continues his work in you, because God isn't finished yet. Yes. And pause before you react. Before I answer or try to fix it, I take a deep breath and ask God what he is doing in this moment, like Steph said. And that half my patience softens the second I stop reacting and start praying. pray through the wait instead of rushing it. This is a hard one for me, but I practice it every day. Rather than asking God to hurry. I bring him the actual thing I'm impatient about and let him loosen my grip. he already knows, and naming it out loud turns the waiting into worship. another good one is pursue him in the interruption. So so often that very thing I'm impatient with, the child who needs me or the slow season is exactly where God is doing his quiet work. So start your day. I know I start mine, rooted in him, and you are far less likely to spend it reacting. So practice patience with yourself too. Like Steph said, this is an important one, and I don't do it enough, and I need to be better about it. Sanctification is slow, And God is not disappointed with you for still growing. So he who began a good work in you will be faithful to finish it. And that includes your patience. I would even say to reach out to a trusted sister in Christ of even just saying, you know, even if you don't have time to explain the circumstance, I'm really struggling with patience right now. And then, you know, let her be able to send you some scripture words of encouragement too. And wrapping this episode up, if you are in a stretched thin season right now, I want you to hear this. The waiting is not wasted, and it is not a sign that God has forgotten you. I think of Hannah praying year after year with a broken heart and how God had not overlooked a single one of her tears. He was writing a story she could not see yet. You do not have to wait perfectly. You just have to keep bringing yourself and your heart back to the one who is holding it. So pick one place this week where you feel stretched thin. And instead of striving harder, ask the Holy Spirit to help you trust a little longer. His timing has never failed you once, and it will not start now for you. every trial is an opportunity for God to grow endurance, hope, and Christ-like character in you. The Lord has been. infinitely patient with you. So let that become the patience that you extend to others. Remember that patience isn't about becoming less emotional. It is about becoming more dependent on Christ. And today ask the Holy Spirit to help you pause before reacting, to listen before you are speaking, and to trust before you start striving. Next week, we are talking about kindness that costs something. Because biblical kindness isn't just being nice, it's sacrificial love and action. We'll look at how Jesus showed kindness to people who could never repay him, why kindness often requires inconvenience, and how the Holy Spirit empowers us to reflect Christ's compassion in ordinary, everyday moments. I can't wait to dive into that with you next week. Bye friends. Bye. Thank you for joining us for another episode of Grounded Growth. We hope today brought you clarity, encouragement, and a gentle reminder that you're not walking this journey alone. If this episode spoke to you, we'd love for you to share it, subscribe, and leave a review. We'll see you next week. Until then, Stephanie Petry: Thank you for joining us for another episode of Grounded Growth. We hope today brought you clarity, encouragement, and a gentle reminder that you're not walking this journey alone. If this episode spoke to you, we'd love for you to share it, subscribe, and leave a review. We'll see you next week. Until then, stay grounded and keep growing. Nicole Ghirardi: stay grounded and keep growing.