How to Develop Godly Patience
Real,
godly patience is vitally important in overcoming the trials of this
life and qualifying for God's Kingdom. Here's how to have this patience.
Patience,
you tell yourself. You were just cut off on the freeway by another
driver. and you missed your turn. Your first urge was to blast your
horn at him or call him some name. He was speeding anyway. Why couldn't
he have just eased into the lane behind you?
But then you catch yourself, and begin looking for the next exit.
You're
in the supermarket. You just stopped in to pick up a couple of items —
you're due somewhere and are already behind schedule. And wouldn't you
know it? Only one check stand is open, and you're the fourth person in
line.
You have several options. You can leave in disgust and come
back later to get your groceries. You can find the store manager and,
fuming, give him a piece of your mind. Or you can wait your turn
and be cheerful about the whole thing.
Patience, We all need to
develop more patience to deal with problems in our everyday lives —
disagreements with our mates, annoyances from our children, unfair
treatment from employers and fellow workers, inconsiderate acts of our
friends.
But. as Christians, we have an even greater need to
develop real godly patience, living, as we do, in the pulsating
pressure cooker that is this end time. We are challenged to endure to
the end, and to patiently wait for the return of Jesus Christ and the
establishment on earth of the Kingdom of God.
Paul tells us.
"But if we hope for that we sec not [our birth into God's Family], then
do we with patience wait for it" (Rom. 8:25).
So what exactly is
true, effective, godly patience'.' And how can we develop more of it,
to better deal with everyday trials and to endure until Christ's return?
Cheerful endurance
Hebrews
I 2.1 tells us to "lay aside ever] weight, and the sin which doth so
easily beset us. and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us." Patience is one of the virtues Peter tells us to "add" to
keep from falling away from the faith (II Pet 1:5-10).
James
writes that Christians should "count it all joy when ye fall into
divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh
patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be
perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (Jas. 1:2-4).
In all the
verses referred to above, the word patience is translated from the
Greek word hupomone This Greek word means "cheerful or hopeful
endurance, patience, patient continuance or waiting."
People
with real patience bear trials calmly. They arc steadfast in the face
of adversity or strain. Patient people are not hasty or impetuous, but
act with wisdom and discretion. The Bible gives many examples of people
who were shining examples of patience. God's Word also records the
failures of some others to exercise this godly trait.
Real patience — and the lack of it
The
ancient Israelites' lack of godly patience caused them no end of
troubles. They saw God's direct intervention to help them with miracle
after miracle. Yet they became impatient and rebelled time and again
rather than trust God for food, water, protection from enemies and
proper leadership.
But notice why ancient Israel's example is recorded for us:
"For
whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,
that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope"
(Rom. 15:4).
By studying the examples in God's Word and using
God's Spirit to help us avoid the mistakes recorded there. we can
develop more godly patience.
The prophet Samuel had arranged to
meet King Saul at Gilgal and offer sacrifices there before a battle
with the Philistines. When the appointed time came and went and Samuel
didn't appear, Saul began to worry.
Saul and the people with him
grew more and more impatient and fearful, until Saul decided to offer
the sacrifices himself, in direct contravention of God's command.
Immediately
after Saul's sin. Samuel appeared (if Saul had only waited a while
longer!) The prophet condemned the king's act. and informed Saul that
God had rejected him from being king of Israel (I Sam. 13:7-14).
Jesus
Christ told a parable about a servant who owed a great debt to a
certain king (Matt. 18:23-25). When the servant begged for mercy, the
king, in an act of patience and kindness. released the servant from the
debt.
But then this same servant went out and cast into prison a
man who owed him far less than he had owed the king. The punishment for
his lack of patience?
"Then his lord, after that he had called
him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that
debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had
compassion on thy fellowservant, even as i had pity on thee? And his
lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay
all that was due unto him" (verses 32-34).
Wait for the Lord
The servants of God throughout history have manifested this trait of godly patience.
Abraham
patiently waited a quarter of a century for the son God promised him
from his wife Sarah. Abraham's patience is one of the many reasons God
considered Abraham His friend "For when God made promise to Abraham,
because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying,
Surely blessing I will bless thee. and multiplying I will multiply
thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise"
(Heb. 6.13-15).
Remember the patriarch Job? God allowed Satan to
utterly destroy everything Job had and then to rack his body with
severe pain. Yet Job set a tremendous example of patience. which James
later made a special point of referring to (Jas. 5:11).
King
David, unlike Saul who preceded him. had great patience, which was
linked with an abiding faith in God. David's psalms are filled with
expressions of this attitude of patience:
"I wailed patiently for the Lord. and he inclined unto me. and heard my cry" (Ps. 40:1)
"Lead
me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on
thee do I wait all the day... . Let integrity and uprightness preserve
me; for I wail on thee" (Ps. 25:5.21).
"I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope" (Ps. 130:5).
"Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation" (Ps 62:1).
The
apostle Paul, in the service of God's Work, underwent hardships that we
today can scarcely imagine (II Cor. 11:24-33). Yet he endured
patiently, and exhorted others to do likewise:
"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" (Rom 5:3-5)
"And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ" (II Thess. 3:5).
"Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Heb. 6:12).
The
greatest example of patience was set by Jesus Christ, who. as an
innocent Lamb, died a hideous death to make possible mankind's
reconciliation to God: "For consider him that endured such
contradiction of sinner against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint
in your minds" (Heb 12:3).
Developing patience
Here, then, are several ways to develop godly patience.
• Keep your eye on the overall goal.
All of us are forced to deal with trials and problems. When we're
trying to reason with unconverted mates or striving to please unfair
bosses or struggling to make financial ends meet, it's sometimes hard
to keep our minds on our ultimate destiny birth into God's Family and
corulership. with Jesus Christ, of the universe.
But that's
exactly what we must do keep our minds on that great. overall goal.
James wrote that Christians should focus on and conduct their lives in
expectation of. Christ's Second Coming and the Kingdom of God:
"Be
patient therefore, brethren. unto the coming of the Lord.... Be ye also
patient; stablish your hearts-for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh"
(Jas. 5:7-8)
The most important thing on God's mind right now is
the restoration of His government to this earth and the eventual
establishment of His Kingdom throughout the universe. And that has
always been His goal. But consider that a thousand years to God is like
a mere day (Ps. 90:4) — consider the great patience of God. We are to
emulate that patience in constantly looking forward to God's Kingdom.
"For
the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak,
and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it: because it will surely come,
it will not tarry" (Hab. 2:3).
•Think before You act.
There is an old saying that "fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
A person who jumps to conclusions is likely to end up at the bottom of
a cliff. . Your husband or wife made an unkind remark to you? Don't
snap back with something you'll later be sorry you said. Rather,
concentrate-on glorifying God. You're sick and tired of standing in
line at a church function or at the Feast of Tabernacles? Occupy your
mind with something else! Don't dwell on your
consternation about
the long line, or you'll end up saying or doing something that will set
a wrong example of God's way of life.
• Concentrate on giving.
Impatience is many times rooted in selfishness Paul said. "Be patient
toward all men" (I Thess. 5:14) the slow bank teller, the small child
who can't understand an instruction, the rude gas station attendant,
the person who drones on and on with the most boring story you ever
heard.
Overlook the shortcomings of others (you may have a few
of your own) Forget yourself and be concerned with their welfare. "The
patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit" (Eccl. 7:8).
Sincerely love the other person and look upon him as a future God it will drastically change your perspective.
• Talk out Tensions.
Does a mate, a fellow employee or a friend have an annoying habit that
is about to drive you up the wall? Well, if you simply cannot overlook
it any longer, tell the person about it and talk out your feelings.
In
almost every case, the other person will not have even realized his
habit bothered you and will make an effort to stop, if you approach him
with tact, meekness and sincere concern.
Ask God to grant you
favor in his eves. Don't let the impatience and resentment build up
inside you until you explode into rage or retaliate some way — you
would certainly not be setting an example of godly self-control or
patience then.
• Rely on God for strength. Our Father in
heaven is the very God of patience, and He can help you have a mind
like His (Rom. 15:5). When you think you're at the end of your rope —
you just can't grin and bear it any longer — ask God for more of His
Holy Spirit — His strength.
Pastor General Herbert W Arm strong
has always glorified God as the source of his continued drive and
perseverance, referring to God's promise in Isaiah 40:29-31:
"He
giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth
strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men
shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles: they shall run. and
not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
David wrote. "Wait on the Lord be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait. I say, on the Lord" (Ps. 27:14).
God can give you the patience you need to overcome.
An incredible future
If we do wait on God - if we practice godly patience and endure to the end of this age. an incredible future awaits us.
"For
the creation wails with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of
God. . . and not only the creation. but we ourselves, who have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as
sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Rom. 8 19, 23. Revised Standard
Version).
Even God's very creation sets an example of patience
for us as it awaits the fulfillment of God's plan of reproducing
Himself through us!
For since the beginning of the world men
have not heard, nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen, O
God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him"
(Isa. 64:4).
Patience is a vitally important Commodity in the
makeup of the future children of God. We must have godly patience if we
are to rule with Jesus Christ!
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth" (Ps 37:9).
Make
every effort to build this trait of godly patience into your character
it is necessary if you intend to overcome the trials of this life and
endure until Christ's coming.
"[God] will render to every man
according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well doing
seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them
that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey
unrighteousness, indignation and wrath" (Rom 2:6-8)
"For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise" (Heb. l0:36).
by Norman Shoaf The Good News Magazine October-November 1981 Issue
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