Articles
Patience
Patience
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing (James 1:2-4)
A companion passage to James 1:2-4 is found in Romans 5:3-4, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” Count it joy when tempted, glory in tribulations are words that at first glance just seem somewhat strange. But when we realize that with patience reigning in our hearts, we will be able to face difficult, troubling times, trials of life, sorrows and disappointments without getting angry or upset. I believe with all my heart that with every victory over those difficult, troubling temptations of this life, we will never be the same person we were before entering the battle and as we sometimes sing, “each victory will help us some other to win.”
Benjamin Franklin once said, “He that can have patience can have what he will.” While I am not quite sure that this is an absolute truth, I do believe with all my being that because of the ongoing struggle that wages within us between good and evil (Rom. 7:15-24), without a large measure of patience we will have much difficulty denying ungodliness and worldly lust while living soberly, righteous and godly in this present world (Titus 2:12)
I have had the privilege of living on this earth for 89 years and one of the great lessons I have learned over the course of those years is simply this: for so long as we live, our lives are going to be filled with ups and downs. Now, we have little or no problems with the ups of life but those down times are a different story because they are encumbrances that must be laid aside. It is in these moments of time that discouragement, hopelessness and despair have a golden opportunity to enter our heart and take control of our life. We must not let that happen.
Hear the words of Romans 12:12, “rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer.” We would do well to begin each day enlisting the help of the Lord in having that measure of patience that will enable us to continue steadily pursuing our goal of one day being absent from this earthly body and being at home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6-9). May we never let the encumbrances of this life cause us to abandon this goal. Pray that the Lord will grant to us a measure of strength and courage and patience to calmly and contentedly serve him, always trusting and confiding in him (Psalms 62:8. Phil. 4:6-7, Psalms 34:19, James 4:6-10).
Charles Hicks, Gallatin Tennessee
