Patience and Faith
“Come on in, the door’s unlocked!” were the words I heard from my aged brother in Christ when I knocked on his door late one afternoon. I went in and found him stretched across an island counter in his kitchen, feet on the floor on one side, body draped across the counter. He said, “I can’t sit or lie down without awful pain, but I can get relief when I stretch across this counter.” “Brother Tom, I’m so sorry. That’s terrible,” I said. He replied, “No, no, I need to learn patience!” Somehow, my brother had decided that the pain he was experiencing would give him an opportunity to “learn patience.”
Our elders recently sent out a “Return to Normalcy” survey. One of the questions related to our spiritual well-being after months of dealing with the very special challenges of the pandemic. When I read that question, I thought of brother Tom and his reaction to his physical pain. Patience and faith have been, and continue to be, challenges for each Christian during these long months.
Near the end of Deuteronomy, Moses sets before the children of Israel basic principles that should guide them through future generations in serving God. He assures them that God’s Word can be known and obeyed. “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it” Deuteronomy 30:11-14.
The opportunity to grow and develop our lives into His image is not some mysterious process far beyond our comprehension. It is not difficult to see the relationships of various spiritual attributes. The purpose of this article is to help us see that growing our faith will produce more and more patience within our hearts.
The writer of Hebrews encourages us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance (patience – KJV) the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:1-3. Chapter 11 of Hebrews describes the great acts which faith enabled these heroes of God to perform. The conclusions drawn in 12:1-3 are based upon their example. They patiently endured because they believed! Patience and faith are interwoven in God’s Word.
The key to understanding the relationship between patience and faith is illustrated in James 1:2-4. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
“Testing,” “trial,” “effort,” “exercise,” – many words may describe the process, but the conclusion is always the same: “The testing of your faith produces patience.” May the Almighty One help us see this great lesson! May we use this pandemic and the resulting challenges to become stronger and better Christians.
Maxwell N. Cornelius penned these words in his song: “Some Time We’ll Understand.”
“Not now, but in the coming years,
It may be in the better land,
We’ll read the meaning of our tears,
And there, some time, we’ll understand.”
“Then trust in God thro’ all the days;
Fear not, for He doth hold thy hand;
Though dark thy way, still sing and praise,
Some time, some time, we’ll understand.”
