But I took great pride when Cassandra’s god-sister said “
So, what is patience ?
I have been told often that “Patience is a virtue” but that doesn’t tell me what it is.
Pr 19:11 (NIV) “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” and in KJV it reads “The discretion of man deferreth his anger; and [it is] his glory to pass over a transgression”.
Can patience be defined as deferment of anger ?
Does being patient means indifferent to situations ?
Does God get angry ?
When we don’t walk with God and deviate, what would God do ? Does He rebuke and discipline us ? Is His silence disapproval of our wrongs or departure from His ways ?
Is patience an alternative way of showing our disapproval to angry outbursts ?
Gal 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control…..”
If patience is a fruit of the Spirit; then, we should have it. But we need to exercise/practice it to develop it in us and for us.
Heb 6:12 “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised”
Heb 6:15 “And after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised”
Jas 5:7-11 “Patience in suffering”
From these three passages, patience is not about being indifferent and it does lead to definite outcomes.
In summary, I suggest to you that patience is not an attitude of indifference but an alternative way to rebuke and discipline without angry outbursts achieving definite outcomes. Just like the prodigal son, who did not receive support for his wayward ways, has finally decided to return to the patiently waiting father.
All of us have patience but we need to develop it further through God’s wisdom so that we gradually reduce incidences of angry outburst or rage...
God bless….
(Adrian Yong)
2 comments:
Agreed with Bro Adrian that patience is not passive nor indifference. The patience displayed by the eager-father of the Prodigal son (Luke 15) was his love seeking out the son to repent and return home.
Love is patience (1 cor 13:4) but love/patience has an object (definite outcome as Bro Adrian put it) i.e. the return of the lost son! What a belated but wonderful father day message! How we father (or parent) should be more patience with our children and not provoking them (Eph 6:4). One practical area is to watch out for our words.
A father says to his little son “..what’s wrong with you?”
A mother says to his daughter “..All you are capable is messing up”
(see ‘when patience runs out, watch out! Pg 37 of the lesson)
Oh, patience, the love that is so needed in our life!
On the recipient end, the children should not take for granted this patience of their parent, just as we should not take lightly the patience of God with us, because God’s patience is with the object that we may repent and return to him!
He is a judge, a God of wrath, His patience (slow in judgment) is by no mean His weakness or indifference, but it is His marvellous love reaching toward us so that we may repent and escape His wrath:
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
If we sin and enjoying it because no one has found out or God is patience with us, be trembled! Yes His patience is with a definite outcome!
Agreed that patience is not passive. Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us(NIV)". NKJV replaces the work "perseverance" with "patience". Patience is persevering towards a goal, enduring trials, or expectantly waiting for a promise to be fulfilled.
However, I can't denied that sometimes the wait on things can be very frustrating. What's more that we all live in a society that promotes instant gratification. Most of the time, we want things "right now." But, there is something to the saying, "great things come to those who wait." Our patience is strengthened by resting in God’s perfect will and timing. Ecclesiastes 3:1-7, a time for everything. God makes everything beautiful in its season! I am sure that Our patience will be rewarded in the end “because the Lord's coming is near” (James 5:7–8).
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