INTRODUCTION
In many ways, life is an education in patience. To do well in life, we have to learn to wait and endure well.
Presently, let us consider the virtue of patience so that we may understand it and obtain it for ourselves.
PATIENCE: WHAT IS IT?
Patience has a broader meaning than we may realize.
Is patience just waiting? We all have to wait for some things, but we can wait impatiently. Is it not complaining while waiting? There are other ways of expressing impatience than simply complaining. Is it not quitting when hardships come? Such steadfast resolve is part of patience, but perfect patience requires even more.
Patience is closely related to and somewhat synonymous with forbearance, perseverance, endurance, steadfastness, longsuffering, and tolerance.
Two words in the New Testament are translated as patience. One is makrothymia (μακροθυμία), which indicates endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance, forbearance, longsuffering, or slowness in avenging wrongs.
The other is hypomonē (ὑπομονή), which similarly means a patient, steadfast waiting or a patiently enduring, sustaining, perseverance. This word is used for the characteristic of one who is not deterred from his faith, piety, and purpose even by the most difficult trials.
One good definition of patience is the trait of enduring delay, provocation, annoyance, misfortune, pain, or other hardships without complaint, loss of temper, withdrawal, or cessation of activity.
Patience is best defined by what it does or does not do.
The key to patience is learning to suppress anger, annoyance, frustration, and other emotions that are provoked by offenses, delays, failures, or inconveniences. Patience does not require that we are without these emotions, but rather it is that we do not act on them.
A completely impatient person acts on these emotions without any suppression of them. The measure of patience is just how well and how much a person does suppress the expression of these emotions in action.
Patience is practiced through understanding and maturity.
When we are immature and lack understanding, we can be provoked to impatience by even the least inconveniences, such as inclement weather or traffic. How foolish it is to be provoked to anger by a rainy day or a red traffic light!
When we understand basic truth, such as the laws of nature or of man, and accept them with maturity, we will patiently endure almost anything.
Patience is a virtue in any context, but its importance is magnified in the context of spiritual things.
If you are impatient with your friends, then you may lose them. If you are impatient with your employer, then you may lose your job. If you are impatient with your family, then you may lose your children. Certainly, impatience will harm you in many ways in this world.
However, if you are impatient with God, then you will lose your eternal soul.
It has been said many times that good things come to those who wait. Never is this truer than for those who patiently wait on the Lord. Consider a few passages of Scripture:
Isaiah 40:30-31 --30Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, 31yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
1Thessalonians 1:9-10 -- 9For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
James 5:7-8 -- 7Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
LEARNING PATIENCE
There is no better way to learn patience than to see it demonstrated. Let us therefore consider some examples from the Scriptures.
The foremost example of patience is God Himself.
Since the first sin of man, God has patiently endured man's rebellion rather than ending man's existence. Notice Romans 9:22:
What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
The apostle Paul had tested the limits of the Lord's patience and proved that He is abundant with patience for sinners. Notice Paul's own words 1Timothy 1:16:
Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
God's patience has meant salvation for countless sinners. Rather than destroying them for their sin, God patiently waited for their repentance. Notice these passages:
Romans 2:4 -- Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
2Peter 3:9, 15 -- 9The 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...15And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you...
Consider a few other examples of patience from the Scriptures.
Paul himself exemplified patience for the sake of the gospel. Notice 2Timothy 3:10-11:
10Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, 11persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!
In Hebrews 6:12, we are told "not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Those patient persons whom we are to imitate are described in Hebrews 11 as models of faith in God.
The Old Testament is filled with examples of patient endurance as James 5:10-11 indicates:
10As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
Having seen patience demonstrated in these examples, we must obtain patience ourselves.
Love teaches us patience, for we are patient with others and with God when we love them. "Love is patient" (1Cor. 13:4).
Patience is the product of the Spirit and not of the flesh (Gal. 5:22). We will learn patience only as a result of careful application of the Lord's teachings (Col. 1:9-12).
Patience is learned by experience with trials and hardships, so we need to see the benefits of such experiences. Notice these passages:
Romans 5:3 -- And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance...
James 1:2-4 -- 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
We must learn patience to succeed in our work for the Lord. Consider these verses:
1Thessalonians 5:14 -- We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
2Timothy 4:2 -- Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
CONCLUSION
Must patience have no limits? The answer depends on the context of the question. In terms of spiritual things, there should be no end to our patience.
Therefore, let us grow toward perfect patience as we also thank God for His perfect patience toward us.