"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
James i. 4.
 
IMPATIENCE would run over the ground, half do the work, and necessitate its being done over again. But patience cheerfully finishes as it proceeds, thus doing a perfect work. Impatience would elbow its way, and enter without paying its fee, thus incurring the embarrassment of having to walk out again. While patience earns its fee, pays it, and enters to be permanent.
 
Impatience ascends in a balloon, and does not even think to prepare itself with a parachute, and must necessarily come down with a bump, as soon as its gas is exhausted. While patience, buoyant with hope, steadily climbs the hill of progress, and needs never retrace a step.
 
Impatience spends its time trying to practise a lesson, or solve a problem in advance. While patience, faithfully, and good-humoredly practises to-day's lesson, and waits for that of tomorrow.
 
The Master of patience said, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." To-day's work is all we are capable of managing to-day. "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself."
 
It was a violation of this law, that caused the two Marys to ask before reaching the sepulchre, "Who shall roll us away the stone?" But when they reached the sepulchre, behold the stone was already rolled away.
 
The ridiculous work of impatience is illustrated in the following picture: A man is seen walking along, and although the way is level and smooth, yet he steps as if reaching for something above the ground. You inquire as to his purpose in doing this, and he replies, "I am trying to climb the hill you see in the distance."
 
Patience might be defined as contentment, or long suffering in the midst of toil, or adversity. Jesus said, "In your patience possess ye your souls (sense of Truth.)”
 
The demonstration of Christian Science is to have our thought so filled with love as to dispel all else. The impatient are ever asking for greater benefits, while they fail to acknowledge benefits already received. This doubting and ungrateful condition or thought, shuts out the light of Truth, and their troubles are not healed. "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father, which is in heaven."
 
The impatient stumble over Truth's spiritual lesson, crying, "This is an hard saying, who can hear it?" The one who is learning the lesson of patience declares, "Thou art that Christ" and waits for a clearer understanding of the seemingly hard lesson.
 
Impatience is a pessimist, and always looks toward the dark side, hence has no sense of Light, Truth. Patience is an optimist, supported by Hope which is ever anchored in the light of Truth.
 
As the plant grows most rapidly in the sunlight, so we advance most rapidly in the light of understanding, as taught in Christian Science. Jesus' statement, "In your patience possess ye your souls," is equivalent to the statement, "Be patient and composed."
 
If we are not patient and composed, our thoughts, hence our words, and deeds are hasty and without proper discretion and judgment, and are liable to do violence to our neighbors as well as ourselves.
 
John said to the soldier, "Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages." This lesson applies to all. If we are not content with our wages; but grow impatient, and dissatisfied, we are sure to do violence to those about us. If we patiently abide in Love, the very aroma of our thought is a healing influence to all who come into our presence.
 
The chronic grumbler, always complaining, is a poor healer for himself, and is unhealthy company for others. This condition of thought finds vent in such statements as the following.
 
"I do not see why I am not healed. I think it is due time for me to be rid of these troubles. Why do I have to suffer more than others? I cannot understand Christian Science. If I had as little to contend with as you have, I would get along all right?"
 
Such an one lives in the gloom himself and casts a gloom on all who come into his presence.
 
Jesus named this condition of thought, and its reward, when he said, "But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
 
When the coming of the Light seems slow ("My lord delayeth his coming") we should patiently wait.
 
The habit of complaining of our dull comprehension, and tardy deliverance, and recounting our troubles to others, is not sobriety, but a species of the drunkenness of mortal belief, in which we "beat our fellow servants." The result is we are "cut asunder" and our chances of progress are narrowed down to nothingness. In such practice there is no profit. Our teeth grind in vain; for there is no food between them. That our work may be well done, it must be rightly done.
 
If content with our wages, we do our work well, and thus merit and gain a position that pays better wages. He who half does his work, because of small wages, will not soon be promoted. It never pays to be slack in little things, neither to wait for big fish; it is better to take "The fish that first cometh up." If we reject the little ones, when there are no big ones for us, we must go without fish. There are plenty of big fish farther on in the larger waters, but we need the little fish to strengthen us in our journey thither.
 
If we recognize the first benefit received, this strengthens and encourages us, and affords a mental attitude, which is ready to receive greater benefits.
 
To "wait upon the Lord," does not mean that we fold our arms, and do nothing, but that we do our work faithfully, and leave the increase with God. "Let us run with patience the race that is set before us."
 
Let us be active and zealous, but let it be in patience. During persecution, adversity, and unpleasant surroundings, we need more patience than under ordinary circumstances.
 
"For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God."
 
Be patient in tribulation; for only in patience can you possess sufficient understanding to rise above tribulation.
 
Jesus said, in his interpretation of the parable of the sower, "That on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."
 
We learn from this text, that if we are honest, and our motive is pure, patience only is needed to insure fruitage. Honesty and goodness are the soil, and patience is the sunshine and rain.
 
If we are patiently abiding in the understanding of the omnipresence and omnipotence of Love, our awakening from the seeming dream of matter, will be as natural, and harmonious as the growth of the plant in the warm sunshine and the gentle rain.

Christian Science Journal, April, 1894