Key 5– Patience Lord I need patience – and I need it NOW! Have you ever felt like that? You are at your wits end and you ask for patience, starting immediately.
I like the American Heritage Dictionary definition of ‘patience’ = Having the capacity to bear affliction with calm endurance.
Being able to remain calm in the face of affliction is truly an element of confidence. But getting to that point of confidence usually takes a bit of work. That’s where the word of God comes in. Walking a confident walk with Christ means to incorporate Him into your whole walk – your everything.
By definition, patience cannot be instant. It’s a gradual work. You would be better off to ask for understanding and wisdom; that way you will be busy adjusting while gaining patience. Not only is gaining patience gradual it is also never ending. I hope that doesn’t discourage you but instead help you to understand that you are a work in progress. Picture a circle. It is also never ending. Where does it stop or begin? The line of direction never changes in order to reach your destination…and your destination is also on going so that you never really arrive. You must keep on going and stay on track. You never arrive at a point where you can yell out Look at me! I am patient – totally!
PATIENCE: Where does it come from? How do you use it? What does it produce? We know that God is love (I John 4:8; 16), so we know that love comes from God, and we know that God is truth, for he cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2), so we know that truth and integrity comes from God but where does patience come from?
Let us trust the word of God once again. In Romans 15:5 we learn that God is the God of Patience so likewise, if we go to the source of love and truth we can also go to the source of patience. What promotes patience in us? Turn back to Romans 5 – we have peace through our Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 1); we have grace and hope (vs. 2) but not just that…we have glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience… (vs. 3). What is tribulation that it develops patience in us? Tribulation is a word for trouble or affliction of any kind. Without affliction and trials…how would we develop in character when it comes to courage or wisdom or patience? The New King James Version uses the word ‘perseverance’ instead of patience. One would be no good without the other. One must be patient in order to persevere through trials.
Paul tells us in Romans, chapter 5 verse 3 that ‘we glory in tribulations’ and that means that we are to rejoice in our trials and afflictions. These issues bring great character into our lives. We are not to be weak and afraid for we are to take on the persona of Jesus Christ. This portion of scripture tells us that we acquire patience because we have trials and troubles! Due to those trials we acquire patience…and the patience in turn will allow us to press on for the glory of God.
If you will turn to Hebrews 12:1 you will read…let us run with patience, the race that is before us. Another word for patience in this verse is ‘endurance’. We associate running with physical endurance but let us look at the spiritual race that is inferred to here. What is the ‘race that is set before us?’ Those running a physical race all have the same goal; the same destination. The runners all start at the same time. For instance, in the Olympics, the runners position and ready themselves – the gunshot is heard and they are off and running. The first one off the block stands a greater chance of staying out in front. Then each runner must press on; they must push themselves and endure the physical pain and the mental anguish to keep going. They deal with time, distance and the existence of struggle in body and mind. Their competition is always there on their heels; pushing them on to reach their goal…the same goal. They will not all cross the finish line at the same time but all will strive to finish.
The Christian has a race as well; though it is spiritual it too will involve both body and mind. It will take patience…perseverance and endurance, for though we press on for God’s glory, it is not the finish line we are consumed with – it is the enemy which is obsessed with our failure – so that we cannot glorify the Father and Son. We must recognize that the race will not be easy and it will be ongoing, like the circle mentioned earlier. Satan will place obstacles in our path when we don’t expect them. He could place hurdles when we expect the track to be smooth and flat. One who races with physical hurdles must get their timing down in order to clear the hurdle without tripping up. They pace themselves. When you are running strong and the road is clear and all of a sudden there is an obstacle or hurdle, will you be able to clear it?
Please don’t misunderstand, indeed we are to be consumed with finishing the race set before us, but during the race we must be fully aware that the enemy of God wants us to fail and fall to the wayside. He will use exertion, boredom through repetition and doubt to keep us from persevering to the end. That is why I say we must be consumed with knowing the intentions of the enemy.
I see nothing wrong with calling on the Lord for patience but I often think the reason we do so is because we have not spent enough time in His word. The more we know his word and the more we understand the ways of God the more we will press on without so much anxiety.
Truly He does want us to be patient, even long suffering but not with ‘impatience’ -that’s right, He wants you to not wait impatiently for the gift of patience. Actually, perhaps patience isn’t a gift at all, but probably a practice. I don’t suppose that you have asked God to help you ‘practice patience’.
Once you understand where patience comes from, how do you use it? A simple question often requires a simple answer. You use patience to get by…to work through the difficult…and to do it in a godly, mature manner. First you expect if from God, then you put it to his good use….how? What are some of the reasons that you need patience? Go ahead – make a list:_______________________ ____________________ _______________________ _______________________ Most reasons come down to self. You need patience so that you can bear up under your trials. Let’s look at a few things that might disarm you:
1. Raising children (though this is a subject in itself there are a few obvious areas in need. For instance – temper tantrums, childhood sickness, lack of sleep, terrible twos, threes, fours, etc.) 2. Your spouse 3. Co-workers & bosses 4. Neighborhood disputes 5. Road rage 6. In-laws 7. Aging parents 8. A spiritually lost loved one
Everything from small idiosyncrasies that get on your nerves to waiting for a loved one to come to the Lord requires a godly patience. The type of control that comes through the Lord God is what you must acquire. I hope you see it as an important asset in your walking testimony of faith. Paul said to the church at Corinth “…in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience…” (II Corinthians 6:4) and “truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.” (II Corinthians 12:12).
Take the time to read II Corinth. 6:3-10. You will notice another grace of the Lord when the act of longsuffering is mentioned. Longsuffering is another level of patience. I have read that while patience is being calm in trials; longsuffering is patiently enduring those lasting trials. It is like asking “are you calmly waiting for your turn in line or just waiting.” There is a difference and it speaks volumes. Often we wait because we have no choice. When the outcome of circumstances is beyond our control…that may be perceived as being patient when in fact, patience may have nothing to do with it. Waiting with a calm endurance though takes attitude. For peace of mind, take on the attitude of trust in order to endure your trials.
What does patience produce?
Well we know what the patience of Job produced; he was rewarded by God many times over for all he had lost by staying true to God. But, what about us? Know that by being patient according to God’s word, we produce fruit that will glorify the Lord; if you are asking for patience just to get by then you are missing the blessing of being patient. In the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15) we find that after all is said and done…the seed that falls on the good soil will take root and grow and produce fruit. To the believer, that means that His word will take root, we will grow in His word and likeness and the patience of that faith will produce a harvest. That’s what it’s all about for the believer…the great commission (Matt. 28:19).
This act of patience and perseverance also offers something which brings about the result of personal growth. In Romans 5:4 we are told that our patience brings about experience or character and that character points to the hope of Jesus Christ! Why do we despair over so many things? When we walk in confidence with Jesus Christ we have his very word of hope to cause us to rise above our circumstances. The Bible never says that we will float along without care just soaking up the sun and relaxing on the tide of tomorrow. It instead cautions us and alerts us and prepares us with and about all possibilities. It offers us answers and abilities and gifts to do what is expected of us as believers. There will be times when we feel as if we are hanging on by our finger tips and haven’t a bit of strength left in us. Don’t give up…give in…to God! Claim His Word as your Rand McNally road map to the hope that lies within you (Col. 1:27 and I Peter 3:15).
Believer to Believer
One of the greatest problems in the church now and always has been, is the lack of patience among us. Paul wrote to the believers of Ephesus (Eph. 4) that we are to be longsuffering or greatly patient with one another and to do so with love. It is important to keep the unity among those in God’s church. We are to confidently trust and put to work the provisions of God’s word; to do that we are to live out the example of Jesus Christ. We are to seek him out when we feel outraged and disquieted. We are to expect his calming effect on our hearts when the patience we need is to glorify the Lord.
Have you heard as I have, the many ‘teachers’ of the word who tell us that success and prosperity are ours for the asking? Have you been encouraged to ask for whatever crosses our minds when life is unfair and the enemies of God seem to have more than we do? I ask you to question those who promise such things by searching out the word of God. Be sure that what you need and request is something that will honor God and glorify Jesus Christ.
Sometimes it is not patience that we need but confidence; it may not be patience that will help us but knowledge or it is possible that too much patience could cause indifference instead of a fiery desire to get things done for God.
Now ask yourself once again. What are the areas of my life that I need patience in? This time however, ask whether it is really a question of patience or knowledge that you need.
Earlier we read that patience comes from trials and tribulations so to ask for patience is to say to God “Lord, I don’t have enough problems and struggles in my life – please give me more” No one needs more in life to deal with than they already have but we all need the wisdom of God to help us develop an attitude of confidence in our circumstances.
I recommend that you read up on the heroes of the faith in order to see patience in action. Read up on Calvin, Moody, Spurgeon and others. While you’re at it, don’t forget the heroes of the Bible. Even today, we as Christians are called on to be patient for the return of Christ. But – in the mean time – we are also to be diligently working for the cause of Christ.
Walking in Peace / division of C.O.P.E. Women's Ministries Sue Puff, author