Have Patience – It’s a Struggle and Test

Another test, just what you need. Aren’t your Geometry and English tests enough? Apparently not, God is going to test you outside the classroom too. The need for patience is a sign that God is throwing another test your way. Patience occurs when God’s testing you to make you stronger. Patience is described as endurance, hopefulness, forbearance and long-suffering. All these words exhibit elements of hardship and fatigue.

Endurance is Necessary to Have Patience

Patience isn’t calmly waiting for something or working through something with ease. It’s enduring. Endurance can’t be activated without pressure or hardship. Suffering creates patient endurance, and out of that endurance will come comfort because of our hope in God. Patience is holding on to hope when surrounded by hopelessness. It’s clinging to hope when it seems like there is no hope in sight. It’s about taking a stance when you feel depleted. It’s holding on when you feel empty.  

It’s not easy to be patient, nor is it something we actively pursue. But, when we embrace patience, we grow stronger in character and in our relationship with the Lord. We should actually commend ourselves for our patience. Living a life with patience is an indication that we’re living a life for God. Ephesians 4:1-6 talks about how patience is a sign of a Godly life.

You Must Have Patience to Live a Godly Life

Living a Godly life, means living a life that reflects God’s character. Proverbs 19:11 says, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” When we’re patient, we’re reflecting God’s wisdom. When we choose to disregard or forgive someone for offending or hurting us, we’re acting as God does to us. When we look at a person’s heart rather than their momentary action, we’re concerning ourselves with others the way God cares for us. Proverbs also mentions how it’s better to be a patient person with self-control than a warrior who wants to take over everything. Yes, God will fight and arm us when we need to step into battle (He is the mighty warrior), but if we can be patient, then we may be able to reach an outcome that can’t be realized through battle. 

Though any experience in building patience feels like a battle, often it’s actually a test from the Lord. God will test us twice for the same circumstance. He’ll test us the first time to make us stronger and help us learn a lesson. Then, He’ll test us a second time to make sure we’ve acquired the right knowledge.  If we haven’t yet grasped our lesson, then He’ll continue to test us until we’ve gained the insight that He desires for us. God corrects, rebukes and encourages with great patience and careful instructions (2 Timothy 4:2). Here are a few other specifications about God’s patience that may seem confusing or frustrating:

• God uses delays to test our patience.
• God’s rewards do not come immediately; we must wait patiently to receive what we deserve for passing the test.
• God is slow to anger and abounding in love.
• God is patience with us having to continually ask for forgiveness when we fall back into sin.
• God’s patience with our sins doesn’t mean He approves of our actions. His patience will lead to repentance.  

Our Patience Brings Comfort and Compassion to Ourselves and Others

God brings us comfort in patience because He knows that we can do the same for others. As we see others going through the same, or similar, situations as ourselves we can provide them with compassion and comfort to help ease their pain. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 describes God’s intensions for us being able to console others in their time of need:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” 

The disciple Paul wrote the incredible scripture of Corinthians. Throughout these two books, he describes that the suffering the disciples endured helps them provide comfort to us as we hurt, just like the suffering of Christ supports us in our time of need. Our suffering is going to be extensive and diverse, just like the level of patience we need in order to overcome the test of suffering. As the Body of Christ, we need to be available to one another, which is another test of our patience. The first word that 1 Corinthians uses to describe love, is patience. The people we love the most will require the most patience. But, God is a loving God; therefore He is a patient God. 

Though we experience hardship in our test of patience, there’s a peace and sense of serenity that we can experience throughout our life. If our hope is in the Lord and we trust in His outcome, then we know that He will prevail. This can be understood by observing the patience of a farmer who waits for the land to yield his valuable crop. Yes, he has to work hard sowing seeds and tending to the ground, but he also must wait for the tenderness of the autumn and spring rains that God graciously provides. So, be like the farmer and work hard to pass your test, but also rest with ease, knowing that God will lovingly provide for you. “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” James 5: 7-8