Intro

Dictionary.com defines the quality of being patient as follows:

“able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious”

The more the world gets into turmoil, the more challenging it becomes to remain patient and steadfast.  Any visit to social media, or even just the comments section of most news articles, will reveal the deterioration of patience for other views, and once again this week we have seen violence erupt in nearby Berkeley, CA when parties that disagree found themselves in close quarters.  If we are to follow in the Lord’s footsteps we will have to navigate around this snare.  As usual we will look to the Scriptures for guidance, and since the Lord has blessed this blog with readership from many parts of the world, including some where Bibles are not readily available, we will cover several verses.

Scripture

Proverbs has a great deal to say about patience (perhaps not surprising since the author had so many wives):

14:29 Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

15:18 A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.

16:32 Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.

19:11 A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

25:15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

Ecclesiastes calls to mind the fable of the tortoise and hare:

7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

And we are commanded to display patience in several New Testament verses:

Colossians 3:12

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Hebrews 6:12

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

James 5:7

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Ephesians 4:2

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

1 Thessalonians 5:14

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Commentary

I think this Scriptural emphasis on patience can be attributed to 3 factors:

First, God is patient with those that He has appointed unto wrath and judgement, because he knows that they contribute to His overall work.  This is described to us in Romans 9:17-24 as follows:

17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?  22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

This suggests that we should imitate our Father, and be patient with those that are in sin, knowing that they were created and ordained unto a purpose of His intent.

Second, God’s patience is necessary for those He has called to accept salvation- which will include some that are today amongst the worst of sinners.  We find this in 2 Peter 3:8-15:

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.  14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

Finally, we know that Jesus said the greatest commandment of all was love- loving God, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.  We get our definition of love from 1 Corinthians 13, and the very first attribute of love is patience as shown in verse 4:

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.

Be blessed.

K