WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE?
“Patience”
· Bottom of Form
· 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is PATIENT, love is kind…”
· When everything is going our way…patience is easy to demonstrate…but let someone cut us off in traffic or let us be treated unfairly…and watch as the IMPATIENCE rises up in us…..not a good thing…
SOME STUDY NOTES ON PATIENCE:
OLD TESTAMENT:
· Written in Hebrew
· The first time the word PATIENT is used in the OLD TESTAMENT it is used as one of the many of God’s attributes!
Exodus 34:6 “The Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, LONGSUFFERING, and abounding in goodness and truth.”
· The Hebrew word translated LONGSUFFERING is the one most commonly used in the Old Testament as PATIENCE…many Bible versions also use the phrase “SLOW TO ANGER” to describe this word ‘patience”
· A good way to understand the Old Testament terms relating to patience and impatience is to think of them in terms of relating to “long” and “short”…
PATIENCE means keeping your anger in check for a long, long time, enduring hardship for a long time, waiting a long time for goodness, truth, and righteousness to prevail, and striving for a long time to reach perfection.
IMPATIENCE is indicated by shortness---of temper, of endurance, of the will to wait for what is good and true and right, and of the capacity to persevere in the work of developing God-honoring character and behavior.
NEW TESTAMENT:
Written in Greek.
patience-Greek, "hupomene," "patient, persevering endurance."
· Although most people consider patience to be a passive waiting or gentle tolerance, most of the Greek words translated “patience” in the New Testament are active, robust words….check out Hebrews
Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”.
· OK…. Does you run a race by passively waiting for slow-pokes or gently tolerating cheaters?... Certainly not!... The word translated “patience” in this verse means “endurance.” A Christian runs the race patiently by persevering through difficulties. …In the Bible, patience is persevering towards a goal, enduring trials, or expectantly waiting for a promise to be fulfilled.
The two primary Greek words used in the New Testament are differentiated by their reference point…one has to do with patience regarding THINGS and CIRCUMSTANCES… (PERSEVERANCE/ENDURANCE) …the other relates to patience in reference to PEOPLE…(LONGSUFFERING)
· The Greek term that relates to God’s patience, LONGSUFFERING,…ALWAYS is the one that refers to PEOPLE …which makes sense cause God made all THINGS…He can do with them with them what He wants when He wants….so He doesn’t “need” patience in those THINGS
God practices GREAT PATIENCE with us!....God patiently waits for us to VOLUNTARILY respond to the leading of His Spirit.
2 Peter 3:9 “God is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is LONGSUFFERING (PATIENT) toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
· Paul used both of the Greek words for PATIENCE in this next Scripture when he was talking to Timothy…
2 Timothy 3:10-11 “You have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, LONGSUFFERING (patience with people), love, PERSEVERANCE (patience with things and circumstances), persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.
· There is another Greek word that is less commonly translated as PATIENCE that indicates that longsuffering with people is associated with an ATTITUDE OF GENTLENESS and HUMILITY….it is used in James…
James 3:17 “The wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle (HUMBLY PATIENT), willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
Most biblical terms in reference to PATIENCE indicate that it is an attribute with shoes on…ACTIVELY working and persevering toward a God-honoring end…It works while it waits.
But a few of the words in the original language remind us that GODLY PATIENCE involves more than enduring the passing of time…It also means waiting on God in times of deep trouble. …It carries an attitude of faith that God is in control, so we can bring our anxieties to Him.
· TRUE PATIENCE involves waiting…but it’s not just waiting, it’s waiting on PURPOSE.
PATIENCE, is FAITH in the existence, the compassion, and the promises of God.
· From the very beginning of the Bible to the end…the Bible gives us little glimpses of FAITHFUL PATIENCE---of WAITING FOR GOD…by people who trusted Him and His Word….they determined to PERSEVERE and ENDURE to the end because God is GOOD and because GOD is THERE.
In both the OLD and NEW Testament…the word for PATIENCE and the examples the Bible gives us for PATEINCE shows us that it involves ENDURANCE and PERSEVERANCE…
· PATIENCE will, in some instances, STAND STILL AND FIRM to hold onto the truth…this is ENDURANCE
EX: the life of Paul….he was thrown into prison a bazillion times where all he COULD do was to be PATIENT…to STAND STILL AND FIRM.
· PATIENCE is also a MOVING thing where people PERSEVERE, going forward in the things they believe God has called them to do…it is faithfully pressing on…even in the mundane things, being faithful to the work God has you to do…AND you do it with a humble and GOOD ATTITUDE!
EX: Joseph….what a life he had! He was thrown in a pit by his brothers, suffered in Egypt with all kinds of craziness…..if anyone had the “right” to be bitter, it would be him…but nowhere in the Bible does it tell us that he got all bitter and angry at God…AND GOD BLESSED JOSEPH for his faith and PATIENCE in ways that were surely beyond his wildest dreams!...He eventually saved his entire family AND…..
Because of his PATIENCE…the promise God had made to Joseph’s great-grandfather, Abraham, that he would make him a great nation and bless the nations of the world through him…
THINK ABOUT IT….this young guy named Joseph, because he PATIENTLY ENDURED over 3,000 years ago…WE are blessed because of it! THAT IS SUPER COOL!
Joseph is even mentioned in the great chapter of FAITH in Hebrews 11…because he PERSEVERED and ENDURED with PATIENCE until the end…
· Check out how that chapter in Hebrews ends and the next one begins…
Hebrews 11:39-12:7a “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every thing that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with PERSEVERANCE the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him ENDURED the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who ENDURED such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. IN your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed. And you have forgotten the word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone he accepts as a son” ENDURE hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.”
· TRUE PATIENCE is anchored in HOPE….
· Our HOPE is the fact that we are looking forward to our Beloved returning for His bride!
Hebrews 6:10-20 “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and CONTINUE to help them. We want each of you to show this same DILIGENCE to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and PATIENCE (PERSEVERANCE) inherit what has been promised. When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so AFTER WAITING PATIENTLY , Abraham received what was promised. Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope, offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an ANCHOR for the soul, FIRM and SECURE. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf...”
· JESUS COMING AGAIN is the anchor of our HOPE…HE is the reason for our PATIENCE!
James 5:7-8 “BE PATIENT, then , brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer WAITS for the land to yield its valuable crop and how PATIENT he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, BE PATIENT and STAND FIRM, because the Lord’s coming is near. “
· PATIENCE is not waiting with doubt…but instead, it is HOPEFUL waiting in CONFIDENCE!!!!
THE COMPANY PATIENCE KEEPS:
· PATIENCE is found in lots of Scripture lists of the godly character traits that people under the influence of the Holy Spirit are supposed to possess…
Galatians 5:22-23 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
· Another Scripture that shows us just how MUCH God thinks about the trait of PATIENCE (whether it is on His part or ours!)…
· PATIENCE accompanies God’s lovingkindness, readiness to forgive, and commitment to justice…
Romans 12:9-16 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, PATIENT in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
Colossians 1:9-12 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have GREAT ENDURANCE and PATIENCE, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
1 Timothy 6:10-11 “…some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, PATIENCE (ENDURANCE), and GENTLENESS.”
Titus 2:1-2 “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in ENDURANCE.”
So……………..looking at these verses….there is a pretty BIG list of things that seem to accompany PATIENCE: love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, genuineness, affection, friendliness, innocence, humility, selfishness, spiritual fervency, hopefulness, being charitible, hospitable, empathatic, sympathatic, being agreeable, grateful, righteous, sober, reverent, and temperant….whew….that’s A LOT!
· We can see from these verses, that PATEINCE is a trait that was a defining character trait of those people that profess to be CHRIST FOLLOWERS!
We are to have PATIENCE with people AND with things and circumstances
LOVE is also defined as PATIENCE…as we see in 1 Corinthians 13…
1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love SUFFERS LONG (PATIENT), and is kind.”
· So………………..if you want to BEHAVE in a way that says “I LOVE YOU”….then PATIENCE is one of the ways to do it!
So…………….PATIENCE is an aspect of love that is built on ENDURANCE and PERSEVERANCE….
We NEED to have patience in order to live in this world that we live in…
· If we lived in a perfect world…we wouldn’t need to have patience…but we don’t live in a perfect world at all…so we are in great need of it!
Check out these Bible examples….of PATIENCE and IMPATIENCE:
THINK ABOUT NOAH….he was patient for 120 YEARS while he built the ark! Don’t you know that enduring ridicule and mocking and yuck for 120 YEARS would about do a person in!!...but he ENDURED!
THINK ABOUT ABRAHAM AND SARAH…..they had IMPATIENCE and then finally PATIENCE….their IMPATIENCE (and the birth of Ishmael) caused all sorts of troubles that endure still to this very day…when God wanted them to be PATIENT and wait for Isaac to be born! See…they had already been married for 60 YEARS and they still had no children…God’s timing would have them wait for 15 more, but Sarah wanted to do it HER WAY…God wanted them to wait until their bodies were as good as dead because He had planned to perform a miracle in both their lives in order to give them the son of promise! Sarah’s way (through Hagar) was actually culturally correct and customary and legal and even reasonable…BUT IT WASN’T THE WILL OF GOD! In her IMPATIENCE, she took over the lead as the head of household and started to tell Abram what to do!!!