Cultivating Survival Attitudes in Difficult Times - Part I
The Necessity of Patience
by Dr. John Tetsola

There are survival attitudes such as patience that must be developed, established, and applied in our life so that we can navigate successfully through the process of God in seasons of difficulty. Rest assured that God wants us to come out of every challenge with a “high hand,” which means He wants us to be the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath (Deu. 28:13). But in order to be the head we must have “head skills.” This means we must know, understand and consistently apply the principles of kingdom success in our lives, ministries, businesses, marriages, and relationships. Let’s see how to cultivate the survival attitude of patience in difficult times of our lives.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Hebrews 10:36

Patient endurance is one of the first attitudes necessary to survive the process of God that manifests in adversity, pressure or storms in the life of a believer. These storms are either caused by God, the adversary, or because of known or unknown sin in a believer’s life. A storm or adversity caused by God may be a season of chastisement or correction designed to bring the believer to a place of repentance, renewal, and greater spiritual fruitfulness. God prunes the fruitful so that they may bear more fruit. Although pruning feels like tribulation, it reaps patience in the life of the believer.

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Hebrews 10:36

God promises the believer that the way to receive His promise is through the exercise of patience, a fruit of the Holy Spirit. This emphasizes the need for the complete guidance of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer, and particularly during times of pressure and trials. It’s important to understand that patience in the Scriptures does not mean standing around doing nothing while we wait for something good to suddenly happen. Patience in the kingdom of God means believing what God says is true, and continuing to serve, to sow, to submit, and to obey regardless of the circumstances. This means trusting God to do His part, and maintaining an inner resolve not to alter your response to God based on the situation.

Adversity or storms caused by the enemy (and allowed by God) may be designed to cause frustration and a sense of hopelessness. But God has a different purpose in mind. As the believer endeavors to draw near to God in the midst of the adversity, what was meant for evil becomes a proving ground for the development of patience. Job had the opportunity to take his wife’s advice to “curse God and die,” but Job’s ears were trained to recognize when God was speaking, and when a foolish person was speaking - and so must we. Therefore, reject the foolish voices of the soul and cultivate the survival attitude of patience. Align your response with the will of God, and you will receive your promise!