Patience

JKS 1 April 2007

 

Patience is the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties.

 

Patience is one of the greatest virtues we can learn to have. This is because anything of any worth takes time and hard work to accomplish. Every man of God in the Bible was taught patience during his preparation for the task which God had for him.

 

Noah had to wait one hundred years from the time God warned him of the pending flood to the time the rain began to fall. During this time he preached righteousness and built the ark in the face of continuous unbelief (Gen 6:8-13, 5:32, Gen 7:6, 2 Peter 2:5). I seriously doubt that this opposition was passive or was without severe and continuous mockery or even violence since the earth was full of this (Gen 6:11).

 

Job learned patience during his grievous trials. He lost his children, his wife turned against him and his friends mocked him. In the end, God blessed him with much more than he had at the start (Job 42:12).

 

Abraham had to wait 24 years (from 75 to 99) to see the promise of a son fulfilled. During his trial, Sarah was barren; he was faced with the fear of death (which caused him to lie to Pharaoh and Abimelech). Abraham in fact didn't live to see all of the promise fulfilled but as it says in Hebrews, he saw the fulfilment afar off (Heb 11:13).

 

Moses learned patience during the forty years of his preparation from the time God called him to save his people to the time he lead the children of Israel out of Egypt (Acts 7:23, 25, 30).

 

Jacob learned patience while he worked for Laban to marry his daughter Rachel and then learned yet more patience when he was deceived into marrying Leah first (Gen 29:18-30).

 

Joseph learned patience during his early years before he saw the fulfilment of his own prophetic dreams and his time in prison in Egypt.

 

David learned patience during his time as shepherd and as he waited for God to displace Saul for David to be the next king, even while Saul tried to kill him, forcing David to live in caves and run for his life, you'd think hardly preparation for a king but on the contrary, excellent preparation as God taught him to trust and rely on Him.

 

Solomon was inspired by God to write these wise words:

Proverbs 14:29  ¶He that is slow to wrath (patient) is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impatient) exalteth folly.

 

Ecclesiastes 7:8  Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9  Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

 

One who is patient shows great understanding but an impatient man exalteth folly or promotes foolishness.

 

            Proverbs 15:18  ¶A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

Again, the patient man appeaseth rather than stirs up strife. 

 

Proverbs 16:32  ¶He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

The patient man with self control is considered better than the mighty warrior.

 

These are just a few examples of how God required his servants to learn this vital virtue. In each example, where the servant was impatient, something bad happened. In the case of Abraham, Ishmael was conceived and to this day, his descendents are enemies with the children of Israel. When Moses was impatient, and killed an Egyptian, his training in the wilderness was prolonged. When he grew impatient with the children of Israel in the desert, he grew angry and smote the rock instead of speaking to it, this cost him his place in the Promised Land (Num 20:11-12). When we are impatient, we exalt foolishness rather than wisdom.

 

God requires that we learn patience when seeking His guidance. During our waiting, we may suffer hardship and mockery. We may see others prosper (and get what we want, not always through honest means). We may become discouraged and may even think we can't wait any longer.

 

Psalms 37:7  ¶Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

 

Psalms 40:1  ¶<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

 

If we however move forward without God's leading or attempt to speed up his answering, the consequences are bound to be as the consequences of Abraham or Moses. If nothing more, we will exalt folly.

 

Our goal should be to cultivate a patient spirit.

 

Luke 8:15  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

 

When we as Christians bear fruit, it is with patience, that is, it does not grow all at once in an instant. It is seasonal and often slow, requiring the ground to be prepared (in an honest and good heart), the tree to be pruned and the waiting (kept in store) through poor and good weather alike. (The word must be kept, stored up for when it may benefit, it doesn't necessarily have its results immediately). In other words, sometimes what we learn in God’s Word doesn’t appear to be relevant but if we keep it in our hearts, the time will come when it will be the very verse which we need.

 

Luke 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

 

We are to keep or possess our souls in a state of patience. This was spoken as the Lord warned His disciples of the pending tribulation of the destruction of Jerusalem and also alluded to the great tribulation still to come but has a general application as we endure life's smaller tribulations.

 

Romans 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

 

Our lives should be characterized by patient continuance in well doing as we await the fulfilment of eternal life, the final goal.

 

Romans 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

 

The way we get patience is to endure tribulation. Since patience is a vital virtue, we glory in tribulation, not for the pain of the tribulation but for the promised result of patience. In other words, since we know that tribulation produces this necessary virtue, we look forward to the end result. This is I believe a similar concept to how the Lord considered the joy that was set before Him, not the cross itself but the result of what it would accomplish (Heb 12:2). Similar to a mother who patiently endures labour, the end result being a newborn baby made in the image of God. 

 

1 Corinthians 13:4  Love Is patient ...

 

1 Thessalonians 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

 

This is clear that we must be patient not only to those who are easy to tolerate but we are to be patient toward the weak, the unruly, and the feebleminded, while warning and supporting them as well.

 

James 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

9  Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

10  Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

 

God Himself is patient (Ex 34:6,Nu 14:18,Ps 86:15, Rom 2:4, Gal 5:22, 2Pet 3:9). The Lord Jesus demonstrated patience during His trial and crucifixion (1Pet 1:22-24).  

 

What have we learned? Patience is a necessary virtue if we want to be a servant of the LORD (and indeed like Him). All of the mighty men of God learned patience before God accomplished His will in their lives. If they were impatient, bad things happened, often with lasting consequences. A patient and self controlled spirit makes us of better fortitude than a mighty warrior. Fruit in our lives is borne in patience. We are to learn from the farmer (husbandmen) as he does the hard work and waits patiently for the fruit in its season. We are to be patient to all men. Love is patient. Tribulation produces patience (and therefore love as well). “We count them happy that endure”, this means that happiness is found in learning patience.