Much is said in Scripture concerning the ways in which our spiritual life affects our physical one. Let me put it another way - our public and private life should come from the same direction. Proverbs bluntly indicates that a lack of consistency within a person reflects poorly upon his outward abilities. Our Christian walk is deeply personal yet should never be private. We must be ready to give an explanation for why we believe what we believe. And patience is often the grandstand for sharing the Gospel! Are we not called to be faithful in the little and the great? As followers of Christ, we are given the power, the purpose, and the reason to get good at waiting. Step it up by looking up these verses and applying them by the Spirit:

• Galatians 5:22-29
• James 1:3, 4
• Isaiah 40:31
• James 5:7-9

Patience is a close cousin of peace. Both are fruit of the Holy Spirit, and where one is found the other is sure to follow. Think about it: a patient response brings about a greater sense of peace in our own spirit and to those around us, right? Conversely, a person practicing the peace of God will likely exercise patience in any given situation. Makes sense? Now, I use the words "practicing" and "exercise" intentionally here. Although the Spirit of God grows these spiritual characteristics within us (John 15:4, 5), we are responsible to stay connected to the power of God in order for the fruit to blossom! Faith (spiritual component) works itself outward, producing good works that all may glorify God. Patience takes so much spiritual energy and endurance that it even exceeds the strength of a warrior! Could we even go so far as to say that God honors a person with patience more than the one who blusters around huffing and puffing getting things done? I'm just saying.

Sometimes a workout includes a wrestling match. Not only a struggle within ourselves, but also with the Enemy. We are not alone in the battle with impatience. Actually, we are literally not alone in three ways: God is with us, giving us strength, wisdom, and protection; we can unite with other believers; and it's good to realize that there are spiritual dark forces coming against us when we are tempted to entertain an impatient spirit. Check out Ephesians 6:10-18.

            Okay, just a "housekeeping" suggestion: It might be helpful to start a notebook (paper or electronic) of each week's workout. Perhaps organize the exercises into your week's schedule so they are not clumped up into one day... I'm not a very organized person myself, but I'm trying to step it up in this area of my life, so just thought I'd encourage you, too! Writing stuff down is a great way to track progress that God is working in your life. Then when it's time to "weigh in", you'll be ready.

Stepping It Up in the Physical:

• Take note how feelings of impatience affect your body. Do you notice tenseness, angry thoughts, negative words, even physical aggression?

Working It Out in the Physical:

• Identify each "symptom" of impatience as a warning sign to re-connect to the power of the Spirit.
• Utilize last week's deep breathing exercise to help your body recover from any unnecessary adrenaline it may have received from feelings of impatience or a hot temper.
• Counteract the negative feelings and actions with Biblical truth by activating the Scripture you have put to memory and ask God for his power (Psalm 119:11).
• Step Lively tip: The hypothalamus gland connects our physiological responses with the emotional and spiritual stimulus. Cool, huh?

The goal of this exercise is to begin to re-train your body, mind, and spirit to respond Biblically to feelings of impatience and/or anger.