Fruitful
Living
Patience
Session
4
Introduction:
Throughout
the Scriptures (and within the different versions) we note a number of words
that are used to express this ‘flavour’ of the Fruit of The Spirit. In
addition to the word ‘Patience‘ itself’ we see words like
‘perseverance’, ‘forbearance’, ‘tolerance’, ‘bear with’,
‘long-suffering’, ‘endurance’.
The
reason we see a number of different expressions is because three words are
actually used in the Greek:
1]
Anecho:
coming from 2 other Greek words meaning up & hold
– these are translated into ‘tolerance’, ‘forbearance’, ‘bear
with’
2]
Hupomone:
again coming from 2 other Greek words meaning under & abide
- these are translated into ‘patience’, ‘endurance’,
‘perseverance’ &
3]
Makrothumi:
makro meaning slow and thumos meaning anger
– slow to get mad
There
are many references to this virtue in The Book of Proverbs including:
15
v 18: A quick-tempered man stirs up dissension but a patient man calms a
quarrel.
25
v 15: Through patience a ruler can be persuaded and a gentle tongue can break a
bone.
Others
include 14 v 29, 16 v 32, 19 v 11 and also in Ecclesiastes 7 v 13
There
are also many more references in The New Testament including:
‘Patience’:
Rom 2 v 4, 9 v 22, 1Tim 1 v 16, 2Tim 3 v 10 & 4 v 2,Heb 6 v 12, Jas 5 v 10
& 2 Pet 3 v 15
&
‘Patient’: Rom 12 v 12, 1 Cor 13 v 4, 2 Cor 1 v 6, Eph 4 v 2,
I Thess 5 v 14, Jas 5 v 7&8, 2 Pet 3 v 9, Rev 1v 9 & 13 v 10. And
perhaps the one we all know best (apart from this Galations 5 passage) is found
in Colossians 3 v 12 & 13: ‘Therefore
as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each
other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive
as the Lord forgave you.’
The
dictionary defines ‘Patience’ as ‘bearing trials calmly’
and as ‘the quality of enduring’
It
involves not reacting emotionally (with anger usually) when provoked by others
actions or the negative circumstances of life. For the Christian it is closely
linked with self-control.
How
do we grow in ‘patience’
Patience,
as with all the ‘flavours’, has its roots in God, it doesn’t simply come
from exercising self-control, although it does play a part, but out of our
relationship with Christ – Jesus said ‘….I am the vine; you are the
branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much
fruit……..’ This quote ends with the words ‘This is my
command: Love each other’ (John !5
v 1-17). And Paul in 1 Cor 13, speaking on the subject of love in verse 4 begins
his definition of love with the words ‘Love is …….patient’.
In
the John passage, Jesus also speaks of the branches (us) being pruned
(disciplined) by the Father in order to be more fruitful and this pruning
(disciplining) comes in the form of trials and testing. Heb 12 v11 refers to
this disciplining producing a ‘harvest
of righteousness and peace for those who are trained by it’.
God exercises the greatest patience (long suffering) of all in how He treats us and all of mankind, He could have sorted the ills of the Man and the Earth a long time ago but He chooses to wait patiently until just the right time.