"Patience" by Year 9 student Max Robinson

I personally believe that there is a much better meaning for patience. “The ability to strive through situations such as delays, problems or suffering without giving up.” Anyone can say patience is an absence of action; rather it is the art that waits for the right time, and the right way to act.

In the past decade or so we have had much less need for patience as we now live in a world where we can download a song, search a vast database for virtually unlimited information, send a message, even order pizza, all with the click of a button. But we still need to be patient with many things. Having the will to work through setbacks and disappointments in the workplace requires patience, same as learning to play a piece of music, writing a speech or learning to dance for the school ball. Patience is extremely important in every profession from teacher to accountant to personal trainer. For example, anyone with a job paid by commissions, such as a car salesman or real estate agent, is very likely to have an up and down income, with some months having little to no income, then earning up to fifty grand in one week. Often it is easy for them to walk away and give up on a deal because the end commision may not be worth their time or the person they are working with may be difficult to communicate with. This requires them to be patient with people, as well as situations. Being patient with people allows you to not get frustrated and angry, leading to you saying something you later regret. This is also very important in relationships. It is also vital that you have self-patience, and you are willing to work hard to improve and develop yourself. Development of every single thing occurs only step by step and there is no other way for this. It never happens rapidly and suddenly. It is a hard and continuous process, which requires patience and a lot of effort.

If you got given three bags of corn and told to make your fortune out of it, what would you do? Many would eat very well for the first couple of weeks, then would have to work, doing something else in order to even put food on the table; whereas some would plant some of the corn. They would not eat very well at the start, but when the corn had grown, they would have a much larger food source that would last them months if not years. There are also the very patient and smart who would plant their corn and when it matured they would plant it again and again and again. And after ten years, those who invested the corn would have quite a large sum, as well as an investment for the future, compared to those in debt, having to work full time, to keep themselves alive.

Overall, patience is a necessity in all aspects of life. To have a successful and fulfilling life, you need to be patient. Do not give up on yourself when trying to improve, be patient and work hard. In the workplace, don’t get frustrated and aggravated with those around you. And finally, don’t be afraid to put the work in now and reap the rewards later. Even though it may seem hard at the time, to get the best, you need to go through the worst, and if you are willing to put time and effort into something you will get there in the end. Thanks for listening. 

This was a sermon delivered by Max Robinson, a Year 9 student, at a Chapel Service.