PATIENCE IS …
By R. Herbert
Patience with others is Love,
Patience with self is Hope,
Patience with God is Faith.
The quotation above from the Egyptian Christian scholar, lawyer, and teacher Adel Bestavros (1924 – 2005) conveys a timeless truth – or three truths – that we also find in the writings of the apostle Paul.
Paul speaks of patience more than any other New Testament writer – in fact, more than all other New Testament writers together. The apostle not only shows that patience is one of the virtues that are fruits of the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22), but also that it is a quality that can be applied in every area of our spiritual lives. Paul wrote repeatedly about the different aspects of patience and clearly ties them to each of the three great virtues – faith, hope and love – that he gives in 1 Corinthians 13:13.
Faith:
Paul links patience with faith in his first epistle to Timothy: “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16). Here it is the patience of God that is linked to our belief, but Christ’s patience is specifically said to be an example for our faith. In the Book of Hebrews – a letter showing the clear influence of Paul’s teaching, even if it was not written by him – we see the connection just as clearly: “… imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:12).
Paul is not alone in linking the two qualities of patience and faith or faithfulness. We find this, for example, in the writings of the apostle John (Revelation 13:10b, etc.), and a little meditation on the fact can lead us to see that there can be no trust or faith without patience. Impatience with God is itself a form of unbelief, and faith that only lasts for a day is no faith at all. We need patience for true faith!
Hope:
Paul also shows that patience connects with hope at the most basic level – the nature of hope itself: “… if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:25). The apostle makes the connection again in tying our patience to that which we hope for: “those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality” (Romans 2:7 ESV).
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul places patience – just like hope – firmly between the qualities of faith and love: “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance” ( 2 Timothy 3:10) and this placement of patience in “faith, patience, love” is hardly accidental because Paul uses patience as a virtual synonym for hope in his epistles.
Patience with ourselves has a direct connection with hope when we look at our path to overcoming. It’s easy to become discouraged when we do not do as well as we truly want to do, but we need to be patient in the hope we have been given (Philippians 1:6) with the understanding that what God expects from us is ongoing progress not ongoing perfection.
Love:
How does love connect with patience? We should remember that patience is the very first spiritual quality that Paul enumerates in his description of love in 1 Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud…” (1 Corinthians 13:4). The relationship between patience and love is underlined again in Paul’s writings when he admonishes us specifically to: “… be patient, bearing with one another in love“ (Ephesians 4:2).
No matter how much we may have a “feeling” of love toward others, the good that might come of that attitude is short-circuited if it is not expressed through patience in our actual dealings with them. Love is patient precisely because patience with others requires us to strive to put aside selfishness and to act in a way that puts their needs before our feelings.
The connection between love and patience is made clear, of course, in the love God has shown to us. The apostle Peter wrote: “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…” (2 Peter 3:15a), and he reminds his readers of Paul’s teaching in that regard (2 Peter 3:15b) – in verses such as Romans 2:4: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” So whether we consider our kindness in expressing patience to others or God’s kindness in his patience with us, we must never forget that patience with others is part of love.
The Priority of Patience
When we consider the words of Paul and other New Testament writers regarding patience, we see that it is vital in the way it interacts with the other qualities we need in our lives which are summarized by faith, hope and love. In fact, we can say that patience is an offering of love, an attitude of hope, and an expression of faith. Patience enables these cardinal qualities in our lives and, when it is exercised with a right attitude, it is in itself an act of worship.
When we truly understand its importance, we come to see that although it isn’t everything, patience is … needed for virtually everything.
* For more understanding of the importance of faith, hope and love, download our free e-book These Three Remain.
By R. Herbert
Patience with others is Love,
Patience with self is Hope,
Patience with God is Faith.
The quotation above from the Egyptian Christian scholar, lawyer, and teacher Adel Bestavros (1924 – 2005) conveys a timeless truth – or three truths – that we also find in the writings of the apostle Paul.
Paul speaks of patience more than any other New Testament writer – in fact, more than all other New Testament writers together. The apostle not only shows that patience is one of the virtues that are fruits of the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22), but also that it is a quality that can be applied in every area of our spiritual lives. Paul wrote repeatedly about the different aspects of patience and clearly ties them to each of the three great virtues – faith, hope and love – that he gives in 1 Corinthians 13:13.
Faith:
Paul links patience with faith in his first epistle to Timothy: “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16). Here it is the patience of God that is linked to our belief, but Christ’s patience is specifically said to be an example for our faith. In the Book of Hebrews – a letter showing the clear influence of Paul’s teaching, even if it was not written by him – we see the connection just as clearly: “… imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:12).
Paul is not alone in linking the two qualities of patience and faith or faithfulness. We find this, for example, in the writings of the apostle John (Revelation 13:10b, etc.), and a little meditation on the fact can lead us to see that there can be no trust or faith without patience. Impatience with God is itself a form of unbelief, and faith that only lasts for a day is no faith at all. We need patience for true faith!
Hope:
Paul also shows that patience connects with hope at the most basic level – the nature of hope itself: “… if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:25). The apostle makes the connection again in tying our patience to that which we hope for: “those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality” (Romans 2:7 ESV).
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul places patience – just like hope – firmly between the qualities of faith and love: “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance” ( 2 Timothy 3:10) and this placement of patience in “faith, patience, love” is hardly accidental because Paul uses patience as a virtual synonym for hope in his epistles.
Patience with ourselves has a direct connection with hope when we look at our path to overcoming. It’s easy to become discouraged when we do not do as well as we truly want to do, but we need to be patient in the hope we have been given (Philippians 1:6) with the understanding that what God expects from us is ongoing progress not ongoing perfection.
Love:
How does love connect with patience? We should remember that patience is the very first spiritual quality that Paul enumerates in his description of love in 1 Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud…” (1 Corinthians 13:4). The relationship between patience and love is underlined again in Paul’s writings when he admonishes us specifically to: “… be patient, bearing with one another in love“ (Ephesians 4:2).
No matter how much we may have a “feeling” of love toward others, the good that might come of that attitude is short-circuited if it is not expressed through patience in our actual dealings with them. Love is patient precisely because patience with others requires us to strive to put aside selfishness and to act in a way that puts their needs before our feelings.
The connection between love and patience is made clear, of course, in the love God has shown to us. The apostle Peter wrote: “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…” (2 Peter 3:15a), and he reminds his readers of Paul’s teaching in that regard (2 Peter 3:15b) – in verses such as Romans 2:4: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” So whether we consider our kindness in expressing patience to others or God’s kindness in his patience with us, we must never forget that patience with others is part of love.
The Priority of Patience
When we consider the words of Paul and other New Testament writers regarding patience, we see that it is vital in the way it interacts with the other qualities we need in our lives which are summarized by faith, hope and love. In fact, we can say that patience is an offering of love, an attitude of hope, and an expression of faith. Patience enables these cardinal qualities in our lives and, when it is exercised with a right attitude, it is in itself an act of worship.
When we truly understand its importance, we come to see that although it isn’t everything, patience is … needed for virtually everything.
* For more understanding of the importance of faith, hope and love, download our free e-book These Three Remain.