A man once said, “I recently had my patience tested… the results came back negative.” We all struggle with being patient. This issue is made even more difficult when people are stressed, anxious, or depressed. It is hard to have patience when shoppers are frantically purchasing supplies, when parents are trying to work from home with children underfoot, or when we are just tired of being cooped up indoors. Sometimes even when intending to lean on God for help, we can make a mistake. Generally, we ask God to remove the issue or situation making us feel impatient. Rather than praying we could have strength and patience to overcome the difficulty, we request that He make our lives easier. In essence, this is praying that we wouldn’t have to be patient.
As usual, God gives us the example. We should be thankful to have such a patient Creator. Our Heavenly Father is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should repent of their sins (2 Pet 3:9). His patience is a demonstration of His great care for us and His desire that all would learn the truth (1 Tim 2:3-4). God’s patience is continually displayed in His great forgiveness (Col 1:13-14; 1 John 1:7). Christ specifically showed the power of patience through the events leading up to the crucifixion (Matt 27:11-14). His attitude toward suffering provides the model for all Christians (1 Pet 2:20-23).
Patience, as we find it in the New Testament, is always linked to ideas such as forbearance and endurance. These are essential pieces of Christian living, especially in the way brothers and sisters relate to one another and work together. When Paul wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica, he instructed them to be patient with all men (1 Thess 5:14). This was the apostle’s prescription for brethren to be at peace (1 Thess 5:12-13). To the saints in Corinth, Paul explained how patience or longsuffering is required in agape love (1 Cor 13:4). To Timothy, Paul showed that patience is a virtue which Christians must follow after or pursue (1 Tim 6:10-11), and what’s more, patient endurance is commanded for the faithful follower of God in order to run the race of life (Heb 12:1).
As members of the Lord’s church we must be patient with our families, with our brothers and sisters in Christ, with strangers out in the world, and with ourselves. So how do we get patience? We first build up our faith by God’s Word (Rom 10:17; 15:4-7), and our patience grows when our faith is tested (Jam 1:2-4; 1 Pet 1:6-7). We also gain forbearance and Christian steadfastness when we remember and look to good examples (Heb 6:12; 12:2; Jam 5:7-11). Beyond that, we are empowered through prayer (Php 4:6-7) and the support of our loving church family (Eph 4:1-3, 16). So, let’s all have a little more patience… right now!
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