What is Patience?
The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines patience like this:
The suffering of afflictions or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper ; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness.
Notice that patience involves suffering and evil. We all endure suffering and evil. The question you have to ask yourself is, “How do I respond to suffering and evil?” If you respond to suffering and evil with calmness and a slow temper, then you have patience. If you respond to suffering and evil by losing your temper, then you you do not have patience.
Importance of Patience?
Patience is a key attribute that every single Christian should strive for in their daily life. It is extremely important to have patience for a few different reasons.
First, as Christians, you will face persecution for your belief in Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us this in 2 Timothy 3:12:
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
It is extremely important to have patience because you already know that persecution is coming for you at times in your Christian life. You should prepare for it so you are not taken off guard.
Secondly, having patience leads the Christian person to be filled with more love. The Bible tells us this in Romans 5:3-5.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 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.
When you are persecuted, it’s going to give you patience which ends up leading to the love of God inside of us by the Holy Ghost being shown to the world. Having love should be what every Christian strives for. The apostle Paul said it best when he said we are nothing if we do not have love.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Notice how the Bible tells us that we should “glory” in our tribulations because that works patience in us? Remember in the definition of patience it says if you face evil with calmness, that is the mark of patience. If we are glorying in our tribulations then we have calmness and are unruffled by it.
Jesus And Patience
Thankfully we have a loving God to not only tell us about patience, but to also show us by example what real, perfect patience looks like. As we remember Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross this Easter, lets remember the patience He showed to those who were torturing and murdering Him.
Specifically, as He was being mocked, tortured, spit on, crucified, Jesus said:
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
How many of us would have that much patience to pray for those who were doing those awful things to us? Most of us get mad at the most insignificant things in our lives that don’t cause any real damage to us.
Jesus showed us perfect patience and perfect love in that moment. It’s not surprising considering He was the perfect man that never sinned. Even though we will come up short of Jesus’s example of patience, this is the kind of patience every Christian should strive for.
Jesus Is Knocking
If you have yet to submit to Jesus and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior; What are you waiting for? He’s knocking at the door. You just have to let Him in.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
-Revelation 3:20(Jesus Speaking)
Read a guide to salvation here: https://thelastdon.substack.com/p/guide-to-salvation
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