There are plenty of stories in the Bible about people being patient. There’s no shortage of sermon’s illustrating the need to keep running the race and being faithful to the call of God. You have Noah, Samuel, Joseph, David, etc.
The “take home message” of all those stories is . . .
Matthew 25:21 (NIV)
25 […] You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. […]
In other words, steward what God has placed before you and God’s promises will eventually come to pass.
That’s good stuff. Patience and perseverance are constantly encouraged in the Bible.
But …
What happens when patience becomes an excuse for passivity?
Matthew 11:12 (NIV)
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
The call of God requires “forceful men.”
A patient person on their death bed has accomplished nothing. At some point in time, patience requires action.
Maybe God hasn’t “promoted” you yet because He’s waiting for you to actually do something other than “being patient.”