Ah, patience. The one thing we seem to need more than anything else. Do we really want it? Why do we have to wait for anything? Why does everything take so long? St. Peter says to add it to our temperance. Isn’t it the same thing? Of course, it would be impossible to have patience without some self-control. But I need faith, virtue, knowledge and temperance in place, before I even have a place to add patience.
Once I have the virtue, knowledge and temperance in place on my firm foundation of faith, patience should fit right in. Maybe. I need the virtue: excellence, resolution, and Christian energy to know what to do with the knowledge. I need the knowledge to be able to understand why I need temperance. And without those things, patience wouldn’t have anything to stand on. I may have the self-control to hold my temper, but I would end up pretty miserable before I got good at patience.
St. Paul puts patience in his list of spiritual fruits in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].” That’s the Amplified Classic version. It defines patience as an even temper, forbearance. The King James calls it “long suffering!”
It’s long suffering all right! But as a fruit of the Holy Spirit that His presence within is accomplishing, that means it is already inside us as a fruit seed. If we learn to exercise it, it will grow. Not only will we notice the difference it makes in ourselves, other people will take notice of it. Won’t they be surprised! In our instant gratification society where we want everything done for us yesterday, we will stand out like a sore thumb!
All these things help us in our daily lives. But just like the spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12, they are for other people. Christianity is a life of service. These attributes aren’t just for ourselves. They work on us and through us to serve. In serving others we serve Jesus Himself. He said so in Matthew 25. And we can’t forget that as we build our wall, there are people building walls on either side of us. When we meet up, we want our wall to be straight, strong and level.
So we suffer a little. Maybe a lot. But it says in Romans 5: 1-5: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (KJV)
Tribulations? Ugh. People say, “Don’t pray for patience, you will get trouble.” What you will get is the opportunity to exercise patience. Trouble is out there. It is worse some days than others. But praying for patience isn’t how to get it. It is already there in our spirits from the Holy Spirit Himself. What we need to do is exercise it like St. Peter says. Exercise what we have to develop what we need.
Thank You, glorious Lord, for Your own precious example of how patiently You endured Your entire life and death. We will never suffer as bad as You did. According to Matthew 25, it is You who patiently wait for us to serve You by serving others. As St. Paul says, we are patiently running the race to win the prize of life everlasting (Hebrews 12:1 KJV). Amen.
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