Patience
Patience
What does it mean to have patience? The word patience is not an Old Testament word. It is used over 30 times in the N.T. the Greek using 3 variations of the word.
The word patience can refer to a person who will withstand pain, toil, calamity, provocations, or any other trial with a calm, unruffled temper. Those who display patience can endure suffering and troubles without murmuring. Patience can come from a kind of heroic pride, constitutional fortitude, and from those who have made a Christian submission to God's will.
Those who have developed patience and a calm temper, can endure problems without murmuring, or discontent. Patience is the quality of a person who waits for justice, without showing any resolve for revenge. Those with patience, will persevere in their work, endure offenses and/or injury without anger.
No virtue is more important than patience. When a person is bound to any legal, moral, or natural contract, or law, keeping the obligation is vital. Patience is not confined to adversity alone, but also to the joy, and prosperity of a person. It must become a part of a person's disposition, or constitution, and form the habit of the inner being.
From insensitivity to pain, whether natural, artificial, or acquired, sometimes passed for patience, this is not the same thing. Why? Patience signifies suffering. If someone inflicts a form of pain or mental anguish on a person, and that person is not affected, nor suffers any lingering pain or anguish, has one practiced a form of patience? Not at all.
A person's insensitivity to pain, hurt, mental or verbal abuse, is sometimes natural; Because of this, one is less susceptible to any form of abuse than other people. There are different degrees of insensitivity in individuals, both in their physical or mental state.
Therefore, the same event may be a wonderful exercise in patience for one person, and not for another. The latter not feeling, or suffering any pain to either their body, or mind, that person does not show patience; but is somewhat, or somehow insensible to that form of pain or anguish.
Christian patience appears from the Christian principles which come from the word of God. Pride breeds apathy, patience springs from humility.
Christians who learn God's patience, and develop it within self, are said to be different.
Patience does not come from the careless habit of laziness, or the inaction of both the body and mind, or from a form of stupid insensitivity, or a mechanical style of bravery, a constitutional fortitude, or the daring of a person, resulting from fatalism, philosophy, or pride. Christian patience is derived from a divine agency, nourished by God's truths, and guided by Scriptural rules.
Patience must be displayed under many forms of provocations. Because people have a wide range of opinions, jobs, reputations, connections, titles, and businesses, their characters vary, and their pursuits and interests perpetually clash. Patience can be tried by others because of ignorance, incompliant dispositions, lack of understanding, or malice.
So under the weight of all the above conditions, there is an opportunity for the Christian, who has developed patience, to triumph. We can be easily irritated, angered, and feel that revenge can be, "oh so sweet." Those who stand calm and collected, holding back that knock-out blow of revenge, give clemency, and hold to the truth that God will be the ultimate judge and executioner of all evil doers. To this conclusion a patient Christian should labor, because inner peace requires it.
There are those who love to needle passionate people. If a passionate person is easily provoked, this Christian may be laying his/her peace of mind at the feet of the enemy, inviting the evil one to strike.
Those who have no rule established in principle, standard, or direction, over their own spirits are, as scriptures describe, "like a city that is broken down, a city without walls," into which thieves and the enemy enter. But, the person who has patience, having command of his or her emotions, places a wall of protection against the unwelcomed offensive or rude invader.
Prov.14:29, "He that is slow to wrath = (anger) is of great understanding: but he that is hasty = (impulsive) of spirit, exalteth folly (sin)."
Wisdom coupled with understanding, gives a large and varied comprehensive view of situations, and the very exercise of patience acts as a diversion, giving the mind time to cool down, and furnishes numberless circumstances, to ease the severity of an offence.
Prov.19:11, "The discretion of a man deferreth his anger = (makes him slow to anger); and it is his glory to pass over = (overlook) a transgression."
A person who can be provoked to revenge, can be conquered, and will lose the victory and glory of the struggle. The person who has developed patience, wins the battle, and all the rewards that can be attained by that victory.
Joseph was assaulted, and driven from the land by his brothers. Yet, Joseph scarcely mentions the crimes committed against him, and is eager to announce his forgiveness.
God's reward for Joseph's patience was to make Joseph ruler over the land, and the people of Egypt.
Ps.35:12, David said, speaking of false witnesses, "They rewarded me evil for good... But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth," meaning, David wept for his enemies. King David's reward was to be loved by both the people, and by God.
Acts 7:60, the apostle Stephen, while being crushed by a shower of stones thrown at him by his enemies, said, Acts 7:60, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Stephen has been given a special place and title by the Lord, referred to as one of the foundation stones of the Christian church.
As great as Joseph, David, and Stephen were, there is one greater. Go to the foot of the cross, and behold Jesus, suffering for us. Everything became focused in one heinous conspiracy. Consider the nature of Jesus's supposed offence, the over-riding evil of the people, the binding force of his accusers, the righteousness of His cause, and the glory surrounding his person. Did not all this seem to call for vengeance? The creature was eager to punish the Creator.
The sun became darkened, the earth trembled and shook beneath the accusers, the rocks asked to crush these evil people. The dead were shaken from their tombs. Matt.27:51-52. Jesus bore the pain of their assaults, feared that His Father would pour forth his fury upon them. Luke 23:34, What does Jesus say? "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
Jesus's patience was displayed in His suffering and affliction. This was an area in which patience gathered glory. So also in us can our distress, and grief exercise, strengthen and distinguish our patience. James 1:3, "The trying = (testing) of your faith worketh patience."
Use makes perfect, therefore, patience is to be exercised under delays. When evil comes upon us, we naturally try to pursue a desired, revengeful, good. Our impatience for good, can be harmful. So our ability to endure without instant good is a needful qualification, as the fortitude by which we endure. Patience can be applied to the waiting, as equally as it can be applied to enduring the suffering.
God will not always immediately indulge us with an answer. God hears us as soon as we ask, but He may not always open the door to us. We must wait, standing there, resolved, patiently waiting for an answer, and a blessing. Patience cries, Ps.27:14, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the LORD." God is, "the God of patience." Rom.15:5.
It is ordered by the Gospel, Rom.12:12, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer."
Luke 21:19, Jesus said, "In your patience possess ye your souls."
In the present state of the world, patience is absolutely necessary. Heb.10:36, "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."
Other examples of patience.
Heb.6:12, "be not slothful = (sluggish), but followers = (imitators) of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."
Heb.12:1, "Let us run with patience the race that is set before us."
Job 1:22, "In all this, Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly (wrongly) ."
Reflect that your trials, coupled with patience, will terminate in triumph.
James 5:7-8, "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord... Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
Rom.2:7, "To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life."