Growing Together – Day 11: Patience
READ: Psalm 103: 8
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Can we have a ‘word nerd’ moment today? Yes? Good. Push your glasses (real or imaginary) up the bridge of your nose for me…Yep. Just like that. You’re ready.
Me: Did you know that there are two words in the Greek New Testament that both get translated as Patience in English?
You: Really? Why?
Me: Well, one is more about enduring through tough circumstances, and the other is about keeping your cool when people are being uncool.
You: That’s cool.
Me: I know right?! In older Bible versions, the one about keeping your cool was translated ‘Long-suffering.’ It meant being slow to become angry and slow to revenge a wrong.
You: Like the opposite of having a short-temper!
Me: Exactly! Long-tempered! That should be a word. J And, that’s the word used in the Fruit of the Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience... Peace is the calm in the soul, Patience is the long-temper for those who hurt us.
You: So, does this change the way you read the Fruit of the Spirit?
Me: Absolutely! It reminds me that the Fruit are all attributes of God that are getting built and developed in me by God’s Spirit – they’re not just good things, they are God’s things. The first kind of patience (persevering when circumstance seem out of control) is a good thing, but it’s not something the Almighty God ever experiences! He always knows exactly what’s happening, and it is never difficult for Him to keep doing what’s right. But, long-suffering when people insult Him, assault Him, and abuse His honor - that is God’s character. We see it throughout the Old and New Testaments. It is how He has dealt with me, and how He teaches me to deal with others.
THINK and THANK: Think back to the time before You treasured Christ, before His sacrifice was covering your sin. For any one of those sins, any one of those assaults against God’s glory, God might have justly demanded your life. And your eternity would have been settled – then and there.
Spend some time today thanking God for His patience with you that allowed you the time to repent, and His love that sought you while you were still opposed to Him.