People desire patients, but they do not want to practice it.
In our fast-paced society people who have patients are considered To be extraordinary. You see, we don’t wanna be bothered and we do not want to practice patience; that now, a person who has the gift of patience is rare. I would venture to say that if you have patience you are a child of God.
You can easily determine if you have patience or not, because once you are without something that you want; you’ll see your reaction. You do not have what you want, when you want it, are you calm and lighthearted or are you agitated and angry? Why is that?
For example, my mother loves her cell phone, because she can text and get an immediate response. If she sends me a text she expects me to answer within a minute or two. Or she types words or phrases; such as, the following: are you there, are you listening, I’m waiting, I’m waiting, waiting, and I’m still waiting. In times like these she is not a patient person. I am pretty active and I do not always take my phone with me. For example, if I’m riding a horse my phone is at home. If I go to the grocery store my phone is in the car. If I’m at church or are in a meeting my phone is turned off. Being patient is not fun. In the space below write a time that you had to be patient. Record the event at how long do you have to be patient.
How do you define patients?
Many people would say that Patience is the ability to wait. But is it?
The ability to wait it’s only a small portion of what scripture means when explaining patience. The fact is, we have opportunities to wait every day. For example, if you drive to work; you wait on the traffic. If you bake a cake; you wait for it to rise. If you work on the computer; you wait for it to boot. If you have a family; you wait on them. You wait on your husband or your wife. You wait in the grocery store. Practice, practice, and more practice. Hopefully, by the previous statements, do you realize that wading is not the only definition of patience.
I would venture to say, you have waited at least three times already today. Therefore, my next thought is this: if patience means to wait; then, we should all be patient, but we are not. If only, patients wear this easy. We would all be patient. Just like in my example, With my mother she cannot patiently wait. So, if my mom had a good attitude and was able to wait; then she would be considered a patient woman.
Have you heard the word long-suffering? Forbearance? The word patience translated from the Greek word; which, actually means long-suffering. Long-suffering means to actually suffer for a long time. Think about this: how long, how many years, did God practice long-suffering; while, he waited for you to accept his son?
Patience is the ability to wait with out an attitude. Waiting in the constraints of love. Being able to wait and not exhibit or hold feelings anger or anxiety. Therefore, those who have patienceAre able to tolerate suffering, for a long time, without being upset. For example, when God is waiting to unleash the Holy Spirit On the unbeliever; He is not angry. God is long-suffering and exhibits unconditional love. This unconditional love does not allow him to be angry with the soul of the unbeliever. God patiently waits for each and everyone of us.
Let’s face it, we are not able to be patient 100% of the time. Being patient involves great strength. We must have strong will power and strong self control if we do not lash out on our friends and our neighbors. In the following space write the name of someone who you can be considered to be patient. Then write down their character traits.
None of those character traits come natural to us. This is why we need the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can nurture and foster patience within us. Other than, the example above, do you see God patient in the Bible? If so where at in the old testament and where at in the New Testament?
I found Exodus 34:6. This is where Moses came down Mount Sinai. Exodus 34:6 “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,” This is the second time that Moses came down from receiving the 10 Commandments. The first time he came down he brought them, because he was mad that people had made a golden calf. I found, that God exhibited the words of Exodus 34: 6, because he did not kill them for worshiping an idol. God was gracious and is long-suffering with his children. Next, let’s look and consider David. He knew that God was long-suffering, because experienced God’s patience. God chose David at a very young age, but waited until Daniel was of age and ready to take over the kingdom. Therefore, God waited on David. In the life of Saul, can you see the patience of God? How?
David wrote the following scripture in Psalm 103:9-10 “He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” Multiple times in the old testament God was long-suffering with his people. He always gave them multiple Opportunities to repent and sent messengers to warn them of what would happen if they did not repent, but he still had to punish them before they would return to him.
Let’s also, consider Jeremiah, he preach to the nation of Israel for 40 years. They called him the weeping prophet, because Israel would not repent and turn their wicked ways into the ways of lightness. Therefore, Jeremiah seeing the patience and long-suffering of the Lord. Here is what he wrote in Jeremiah 15:19 “19 Therefore thus says the Lord:
“If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them.”
Those are just a couple of examples found in the Old testament. Perhaps you found different ones, because they’re or so, so many. In the new testament, we first in for most, look at the life of Jesus. He was always patient and kind with his people.
In the New Testament we also find many more examples of patients. When we look and consider the life of Jesus Christ we see patients, because Jesus is God in the flesh. Jesus was patient with every human being. Just like God is patient with every human being. However, in the Life of Jesus Christ we have concrete examples. When we consider how Jesus acted toward the 12 men that he called, don’t we see patients? In the space provided list a couple of times korma you found in scripture, where Jesus showed his patience toward the disciples.
I found over and over again that Jesus was patient with his disciples. For example, after Jesus taught a parable, his disciples would question him further about the parable. Jesus was long-suffering with them and he explained it in more details. For example, Matthew 13:36-43
(New International Version)
The Parable of the Weeds Explained by Jesus to his disciples this way:
“36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable(A) of the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.(B) 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,(C) 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest(D) is the end of the age,(E) and the harvesters are angels.(F)
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man(G) will send out his angels,(H) and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(I) 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun(J) in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
We cannot leave this section on patience without mentioning how patient Jesus Christ was through his trial and crucifixion. An impatient and loving man would not of been able to withstand all that Jesus went through; without lashing back at the ones who were causing much pain. This is why I know Jesus was God in the flesh.
