What is patience? How does it respond?
I think of honey. That’s right, honey. Honey takes an awful long time to pour into a spoon. It’s also sweet. Not in a hurry, but pleasing in its characteristics. Molasses, that’s another good picture of patience. There’s a saying, “slow as molasses”. This means to be exceptionally slow or sluggish, not fast at all. Patience, reacting slow with careful thought and consideration and with purpose. The opposite of letting something ‘get under your skin’ to become a source of irritation or bother.
To have patience, according to WordWeb, means you have a good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence. The words forbearance, longanimity, and solitaire are listed as synonyms. Of course, impatience is the opposite of patience and is the lack thereof. Impatience is having irritation with anything that causes delay.
Wow. I sort of wished I hadn’t approached this subject because it speaks a bit close to my heart, and not in a pleasing way. But, I believe God has led me here so I will forge on into this soul-searching thought and pray that there is someone out there who can relate and might be caused to consider addressing this not-so-easy issue. At the very least, you can pray for me, please!
A good place to begin is to look at the synonyms used for patience to flesh out our understanding.
Forbearance: 1. good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence; 2. a delay in enforcing rights, claims or privileges; refraining from acting. WordWeb
Longanimity: 1. good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence. WordWeb
The next synonym listed is interesting, it’s the word solitaire. Of course, I immediately think of the card game. The definition includes not only the card game but this is the name of an extinct flightless bird related to the dodo. Not sure what that has to do with patience other than sometimes it seems my show of patience is extinct then I might look like a dodo… The first definition for solitaire is listed as a gem, usually a diamond, in a setting by itself. Well, if we stretch this I suppose someone who has true patience would also be considered a gem!! Perhaps if someone were to live a solitary life, there would be no opportunity to express impatience with others…
There certainly seems to be a repetition of words as I looked up the meanings. You can hardly miss it, but just in case, it bears a closer look. A good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence.
Easy-going, cheerful, kind, agreeable. I like to think I can be all those things except when…
See the problem? There is no room for exception. Ugghhhhh. And, who am I to decide what is acceptable or to label someone incompetent. This is a difficult subject. When I first jotted down the idea for this study, I called it ‘patience with others’. I fully intended to seek encouragement on how I might be able to be longsuffering with other peoples’ issues. I have quickly realized the sole problem resides in my own understanding and grasp of patience in my personal thinking and attitude. This is one of those ‘God has hit me on the side of the head’ moments. And come to think of it, the idea of having to be patient with delay doesn’t tend to sit well with me – I don’t like delay!
As we continue to dig into what God says in His word about being patient, my desire is that a challenge is set forth for each of us to grow in this much needed area. Someday, perhaps, by God’s grace, I will have a seasoned character of patience that is descriptive of my life.
1Co 13:4-5 Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
I’ve often used this scripture as a barometer when I begin to feel frustrated with others. I’ve known I never quite get passed the first few words but I think I’ve also put a convenient time limit on the patience part. Like, “I have been patient”, or “I’ll be patient for a while longer…” I’ve also realized I can be quite impatient with myself!
Love is patient; longsuffering; forbearing; enduring. So if I am acting impatiently, I am lacking love. We are not only to be patient with others but also with affliction rendered in our own lives.
2Co 1:6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
The explanation of the words patient enduring here carries the meaning of a continuing cheerful or hopeful endurance. So now we have a clear explanation of the attitude that accompanies patience. It’s not tapping the foot on the floor or tapping the fingers loudly on the table while you wait! Or, making grunting noises or sighing loudly, or rolling the eyes…
A good natured tolerance of delay or incompetence is cheerfully waiting upon someone or something.
Another question comes to mind: But what about when we are right? Sometimes it just seems so obvious to us doesn’t it? What does the Word say?
2Ti 2:24 And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
Enduring of ill. Patient. Unceasing. Patiently bearing continual wrongs or trouble. Including hostility or enmity. Patient even with those who antagonize you, or ‘get under your skin’ or seem to take forever to ‘follow the program’.
Isn’t this fun? Or not… I urge you to keep going, growth is good.
