Forgive us for our impatience, O God. We know it is sin. Though our evil hearts would like to brush it aside and justify the pettiness of it, we acknowledge that it is anything but petty. It is a great evil in your sight and it rouses the fury of your indignation.
Father, we do confess that it is not a petty thing. For we display this vice so often. We experience it at the stoplight and in the checkout line. We evidence it in the way we snap at our kids and grow irritable with them. We are guilty of it when do not give our neighbor the attention they are due, seeing them more as an annoyance getting in our way, rather than a friend or ministry opportunity. It is why we not to do a thorough job in our vocations; it is why our children hastily race through their lessons; it is why we are not gentle when dealing with the sins and failures of others, and it is why we get disgusted when things don’t go our way. Impatience is found in every heavy sigh, every eye roll, and every swear word that “slips” from our lips. But most of all, O God, we know that it is a heinous thing because it is a direct attack upon you. Ultimately, our impatience is the way we voice our disgust for your wisdom and providence. At best our lack of patience demonstrates our failure to trust in a sovereign God. And at its worst it reveals how much we desire to be sovereign. For when we are impatient we are essentially saying that we want you to submit to us and to our timetable; when it should be us that quietly submits to yours. In the end, Father, we know that the only thing that impatience does quickly is kill. It kills our joy. It kills our relationships. It even kills our own person as it eats away at our soul and devours our strength. But Father, we thank you that you are not like us. You are full of patience. Indeed, you have suffered long with our sin and patiently waited for our repentance. You have not grown angry and quickly thrown us into the fires which we deserve. Rather you have offered grace upon grace and overlooked a multitude of sins. For this we are eternally grateful. And it is because of this that we turn to you today with the hope of pardon and full confidence of your Spirit’s cleansing. Dear God, we put our trust in Christ whose cross certifies the death of our impetuous nature and offers the promise of life forevermore. And we look to you and ask that you might create within us that quietness of heart that you require. Lord, conform us to Christ and produce in us that precious fruit of the Spirit. For this we ask in the name of our Great Savior, Amen. Assurance of Pardon: Joel 2:13 “Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.”
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