Everyone talks about the importance of being patient, whether it be with our spouse, children, friends, or coworkers. How could we define patience? Patience is a virtue that is given by God. This virtue helps the person to calmly bear, suffer, and tolerate the misfortunes or tasks that may irritate us. It helps us to tolerate the adversities or negative events that happen in our life.
We all will find ourselves in difficult situations at some point in our life; it’s inevitable.
However, it’s important that we confront these moments with the correct mindset. The spirit of God gives us a word of encouragement for when we find ourselves in difficult trials. James wrote to the early Christians in James 1:2-3, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” How can someone find joy during hardships? It may seem impossible to do, but to the believer who has all their trust in God, it will be simple. We must constantly remind ourselves of the result of those trials. The testing of our faith, that hardship in our life, will produce patience for us when we wait on the Lord. Therefore, it’s important to face the challenges in our life with the correct mentality. In addition, it’s essential that we seek this virtue constantly. We must understand that this virtue is a necessity in our life. A necessity is something that is required or indispensable.
The spirit of God informs us of the need of this virtue in Hebrews 10:36 “For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise.” Who will receive the promise from God? It’s clear that those who have patience and do his will. For this reason, we must pray to the creator constantly so that He may grant us the patience to endure all things.
The Holy Bible gives many examples of men and women who waited patiently on the Lord. For example, the man of God Abraham is a perfect illustration of someone who lived his life with patience. Abraham was given a promise from God when he was first called (Genesis 12). The creator promised to make him a great nation. When God made this promise, Abraham was 75 years old (Genesis 12:4). He had to wait until his son Isaac was born, the son according to the promise. He believed in the almighty from the very beginning (Romans 4:18-21) and did not doubt, so he waited. In Genesis 21:5, it explains that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was finally born. The man of God ended up patiently waiting for the timing of the Lord for a quarter of a century! These 25 years were just to see the beginning of that promise being fulfilled.
What can we learn from this example? When times get tough and it may seem that no one is listening, stay patient. God is always listening, but we must remind ourselves to wait on His time. It’s not an easy task of course, but we must remember what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” As we wait for a response during our struggles, we must pray for more patience as well. In the end, God will do all things for our benefit, one way or another.
To finalize, I would like to extend an invitation to visit a congregation of the Light of the World to learn more of this virtue. You will learn what God desires for your life and find the tools that will help you through any trial or tribulation in your life. Feel free to reach out to join us at our daily services. Information is available on the “The Light of the World Juneau, AK” Facebook page or send an email to lldm.juneauak@gmail.com. May the peace of God dwell in your hearts and God bless you all.
• Joab Cano is a missionary for the Light of the World Church. “Living & Growing” is a weekly column written by different authors and submitted by local clergy and spiritual leaders. It appears every Friday on the Juneau Empire’s Faith page.
