Patience

Introduction

So we are continuing the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and the fruit we are going through today is patience.

I think this is a really important topic because one of the things that society lacks in general, is patience.

Anyone know what 빨리빨리 means? This means ‘quick quick’ in Korean, and Korea is famous for having a 빨리빨리 culture. Koreans like efficient, fast, service. They like to get things done swiftly. Life is always a race to the top, to success - life is a hustle and bustle, and we are always busy and in a rush, because if we are not, we will fall behind in the competition.

Compared to Korea, Australia is seen as a more laid back country. But the reality is, when you actually go out into society, it’s really not that different to Korea. People are busy and hustling here as well. And the place you can see it most clearly, is the morning traffic. People are so aggressive driving in the morning, trying to get to work or school. Everyone’s cutting into lanes, going over the speed limit, honking at each other. Even if you think you are a patient person, but when you drive in morning traffic, you lose your patience as well, and everyone on the road seem like your enemies!

But the Bible calls us to be patient. Let’s see some example verses where the Bible instructs us to be patient:

Colossians 1:11 “11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;”

Colossians 3:12 “12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”

2 Timothy 3:10 “10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,”

Patience is seen as a really important virtue in the Bible. So let’s see what the Bible says about patience.

1. God is patient

So you may have guessed the first point already based on my previous sermons - God is patient. Just like God is the source of all love, joy, and peace, God is also the one who has the most exemplary patience.

One of the most common descriptors of God in the Old Testament is his long-suffering.

Read Exodus 34:6 “6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,”

Israel had been saved by God from Egypt. But despite God saving Israel, Israel constantly sinned against God and complained against God, constantly turning away from God and His commandments. But God is long-suffering, meaning God is patient and waits a long time before he punishes Isreal.

And it wasn’t just Israel. Even in the story of Noah, God delays judgement for many years before he deals judgement on the human race with the flood.

And this is one of the reasons we praise God! One of the ways God shows us his love is through his patience. Remember 1 Corinthians 13:4 “4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant”. God shows us his love by being patient with our disobedience, our sins. And we are to respond to God’s patient love with praise and thanks.

Look at Psalm 136 - look at the constant repeated phrase - ‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. It is repeated over and over and over again. The Psalm constantly praises God for his steadfast love that endures forever. And because of this truth about God, the appropriate response is praise.

And we should especially be thankful, and praise our God, because it is only by his patience that we are saved. Read 2 Peter 3:15 “15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,”

Our salvation depends on God’s patience, as it is only by God being patient with our sins and not destroying us for our disobedience, that gives room for God’s loving salvation to take place in our lives.

God is a God of judgement and justice, but He is also a God of love - so much so that he patiently holds back his judgement so that He can enter our hearts, give us faith, and save us.

So just like Psalm 136, of course we are also to respond in praise and worship, because God is worthy of all our praise.

2. Patience is power

But God’s patience is not just a call for us to praise, thank, and worship him. We are also to be patient. And one of the reasons patience is important, is because the Bible describes the power of patience.

Proverbs is one of the wisdom books of the OT, and it talks a lot about the wise person and the foolish person. And one of the qualities of the wise person is someone who is patient. Read Proverbs 16:32 “32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

It is saying the person who is patient, is better than the one who is powerful like a warrior, one who is powerful enough to capture a city.

Patience therefore, is not something passive, where you sit there waiting for something to happen. It is something you exercise actively, something intentional, it is like running a marathon where you need to exercise endurance.

And here, the way the active nature of patience is shown is through the parallel drawn between patience, and ‘he who rules his spirit’. The one who can command, rule, subdue, control their hearts - their emotions, their desires, their passions, their will ->

But ruling or conquering our hearts is something that is impossible for us. It is not something we just muster up one day. It is a fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us through His word. It is not our own, but a gift from God. Something we need to ask for, and walk with God in, daily.

And this verse also talks about the power of patience. The one who can rule his own spirit is more powerful than a warrior who can conquer cities. Essentially, it is harder, and more powerful, to conquer yourself, than someone else. Why is this?

Patience is powerful, because by ruling your desires, you can hold back your anger and desire for revenge, therefore overcoming evil.

It is by patience with others, especially those who are stubborn and difficult to love, that you can actually change their hearts.

Read Proverbs 25:15 “15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone.” - it is not through brute force that people are changed, but through patience and love.

So just as God changed our minds and our hearts and saved us, God can use us and our patience as an instrument to change others. Our patience can be the very gift and power of God that He uses to give salvation to others. Patience can have the power over death and sin. This is why, patience is more powerful that a strong warrior.

3. Patience is a new perspective

And lastly, the Bible teaches us how we might be able to have this kind of patience.

Read James 5:7–8 “7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

James is a letter written to the Jewish believers in the land. And it was a time when they were going through intense persecution and suffering. But James says that they need to be patient. And he tells them how he can be patient - by adopting a new perspective. He says ‘establish your hearts, for the coming of the LORD is at hand’.

Knowing that there is more to this life than school, good grades, VCE, university, jobs, relationships; knowing that there is a glorious perfect life when Christ returns, is what helps us to be patient. Seeing this life with the perspective of the greater reality of eternity, will help us endure through any trial or suffering. It puts our worries and concerns into right perspective, because when they are seen in the greater reality of Christ and his future return, they become insignificant. And having that eternal perspective gives us a great hope and assurance, which will help us endure through any suffering in this life.

Conclusion

So to finish off, patience is a really important virtue that the Bible talks about. The Bible tells us that patience is powerful - it is more powerful that powerful warriors because patience has the power to change hearts. Patience gives us hope and helps us endure through life’s difficulties and challenges. And patience is the very power of God to bring salvation to us and others - God giving us His Son for our salvation despite us deserving condemnation is the very epitome of patience. God showed us his ultimate love through patience. This is how powerful patience is - and it is a power that we are unable to exercise ourselves. Just like all the other fruits of the Holy Spirit, patience is also something that God gives to us as a gift. So as we put in effort to show patience with our families, friends, and even our enemies in our lives, let us depend on God to give us this wonderful fruit. as He is the one who has the greatest patience.

Discussion questions:

What are the things that make you impatient?

How can we learn to be patient with others?