The point of Patience

What Exactly is Patience?

Webster defines patience Pa′tience, n. [F. patience, fr. L. patientia. See Patient.] 1. The state or quality of being patient; the power of suffering with fortitude; uncomplaining endurance of evils or wrongs, as toil, pain, poverty, insult, oppression, calamity, etc. (teacher and rain boots story) Digging into a Biblical understanding of patience will give us a very different perspective. PATIENCE Active endurance of opposition, not a passive resignation. Patience and patient are used to translate several Hebrew and Greek words. Patience is endurance, steadfastness, long-suffering, and forbearance.

So now that we have a bit of an understanding about what patience is beyond a word with the root word patient. Why is this so very important?

Where are we going?

Hebrews 12:1–2 HCSB

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.

We Learn Patience by Example

The great cloud of witness that is talked about in these verses referes to people that have gone on before us. The greek word is Martus Marturon which literally means martyr or witness. Paul tells us by talking about this great cloud of witnesses to understand that we have something we have someone that is an example to us that shows us how to live, and gives us an example to follow . Scripture is full of people that were patient, people that endured. Many point to Job as the picture of patience, Jeremiah, actualy most of the prophets had to be patient, Abram and Sariah are a picture of what happens when we take matters into our own hands, and are not patient, Perhaps the greatest person that we can look at though as a picture of patience would be Joseph, looking at his story we can see someoen that had to be the picture of patience. (tell joseph story)

We prepare for life by making hard choices

When we read that we are to lay aside every weight and sin that easily ensnares us we come to a realization. Learning patience will take more than just a desire to do so, It will take change on our part. We must be a part of that change. Notice it doesn’t just say lay aside every sin it also says weight...There are things in life that can cause our ability to run with patience or endurance the race that God has called us to that are not bad, things that are not even sinful and yet they weigh us down, they cause us to falter or not even start the race in the first place. There is a sin that easily entangles humanity, and there is a sin that easily entangles you. It is a hot button that if pushed will make you fall. (expound) So many have tried to pin point the sin that messes all of us up the one that pulls us all away. Disobediance was what happened in the garden but there is someting else at the root of our sin nature. A need a desire a striving to be in control. There is an elemnt of pride in our lives that says I can do it by myself I dont need anyone or anything to tell me what or how to live and do things. Which is what makes the sin that so easily entangles us all the more frustrating because while humanity all has an issue with dissobediance and rebeliion as individiduals there is someting that is our sin, that one thing that is like our pet, it is someting that we hide, something that we do not set down and if we do set it down we sneak back to pick it back up. It’s the one thing that no matter what it seems we can never beat, we can never get over we can never control. Which brings us to that final important part of living a life of patience.

We have Jesus

The reason I can live a life full of the spirit, the reason I can have patience in my life is because of where my faith comes from. Jesus is the source and perfector of my faith. Let that sink in for a minute. There is an important concept there. In order to have a life marked by patience. Marked by a realization that our faith does not come from our minds, it doesn’t come from the work we do, it doesn’t come from our church even, the faith that we have that allows us to grow that allows us to have the fruit of the spirit in our lives has it’s root in the creator of the universe. But wait there’s more not only is Jesus the author of our faith. But he is the pefector of our faith. He is the one that is working in our lives, he is the reason that we can set aside the weight we are told to lay aside, he is the one that can help us deal with the sin that so easily entangles us...He’s the one that wants us to grow to move to have our being in him. He is the one that promised to send the comforter, he is the one that enables us to live a life marked by the fruit of spirit that we are talking about in this series. Jesus gives us an example of what it means to live a life marked by patienly waiting, enduring, holding on even when it makes no sense, even when we want to rush thing, even when we think we can take a short cut.

The reason I can live a life full of the spirit, the reason I can have patience in my life is because of where my faith comes from. Jesus is the source and pefector of my faith. Let that sink in for a minute. There is an important concept there. In order to have a life marked by patience. Marked by a realization that our faith does not come from our minds, it doesn’t come from the work we do, it doesn’t come from our church even, the faith that we have that allows us to grow that allows us to have the fruit of the spirit in our lives has it’s root in the creator of the universe. But wait there’s more not only is Jesus the author of our faith. But he is the pefector of our faith. He is the one that is working in our lives, he is the reason that we can set aside the weight we are told to lay aside, he is the one that can help us deal with the sin that so easily entangles us...He’s the one that wants us to grow to move to have our being in him. He is the one that promised to send the comforter, he is the one that enables us to live a life marked by the fruit of spirit that we are talking about in this series. Jesus gives us an example of what it means to live a life marked by patienly waiting, enduring, holding on even when it makes no sense, even when we want to rush thing, even when we think we can take a short cut. Patience means I will do the work. If we want to be in relationsihp with God if we want to enter his presence if we want to have an eternity that is assured, we must realize that short cuts dont’ work when it comes to our faith. (ignroing the road in the game i’m playing) If we are going to run the race with endurance, if we are going to have the work of the holy spirit active in our lives if we are going to have the fruit of the spirit evident to all those around us. We must realize there are no short cuts. This Week’s Challenge You will need the following items. 1. Bible 2. A notebook or the note feature in your bible app 3. 5 minutes a day. Now I want you to take 5 minutes each day and I want you to read the book of John. Start with and when someting jumps out at you underline or highlite it and write down what you think about what just jumped out at you. Make no mistake this will take patience but you can do it and it is worth the time and effort.

Patience means I will do the work. If we want to be in relationsihp with God if we want to enter his presence if we want to have an eternity that is assured, we must realize that short cuts dont’ work when it comes to our faith. (ignroing the road in the game i’m playing) If we are going to run the race with endurance, if we are going to have the work of the holy spirit active in our lives if we are going to have the fruit of the spirit evident to all those around us. We must realize there are no short cuts. This Week’s Challenge You will need the following items. 1. Bible 2. A notebook or the note feature in your bible app 3. 5 minutes a day. Now I want you to take 5 minutes each day and I want you to read the book of John. Start with and when someting jumps out at you underline or highlite it and write down what you think about what just jumped out at you. Make no mistake this will take patience but you can do it and it is worth the time and effort.

Patience means I will do the work

If we want to be in relationsihp with God if we want to enter his presence if we want to have an eternity that is assured, we must realize that short cuts dont’ work when it comes to our faith. (ignroing the road in the game i’m playing) If we are going to run the race with endurance, if we are going to have the work of the holy spirit active in our lives if we are going to have the fruit of the spirit evident to all those around us. We must realize there are no short cuts.

If we want to be in relationsihp with God if we want to enter his presence if we want to have an eternity that is assured, we must realize that short cuts dont’ work when it comes to our faith. (ignroing the road in the game i’m playing) If we are going to run the race with endurance, if we are going to have the work of the holy spirit active in our lives if we are going to have the fruit of the spirit evident to all those around us. We must realize there are no short cuts. This Week’s Challenge You will need the following items. 1. Bible 2. A notebook or the note feature in your bible app 3. 5 minutes a day. Now I want you to take 5 minutes each day and I want you to read the book of John. Start with and when someting jumps out at you underline or highlite it and write down what you think about what just jumped out at you. Make no mistake this will take patience but you can do it and it is worth the time and effort.

This Week’s Challenge

You will need the following items. 1. Bible 2. A notebook or the note feature in your bible app 3. 5 minutes a day. Now I want you to take 5 minutes each day and I want you to read the book of John. Start with and when someting jumps out at you underline or highlite it and write down what you think about what just jumped out at you. Make no mistake this will take patience but you can do it and it is worth the time and effort.