Tag: patience

Posted in theology

To wait

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

To wait is not merely to remain impassive. It is to expect–to look for with patience, and also with submission. It is to long for, but not impatiently; to look for, but not to fret at the delay; to watch for, but not restlessly; to feel that if he does not come, we will acquiesce, and yet to refuse to let the mind acquiesce in the feeling that he will not come.”

Andrew B. Davidson, Waiting on God. AB Davidson was an ordained minister in the Free Church of Scotland and Professor of Hebrew and Oriental languages in New College, University of Edinburgh.

As I look around in my small sphere and see the dramatic changes in parenting styles and kids not rebounding from quarantines and lockdowns…and the wider sphere of prices rising and difficulties rising in just living a life…and the even wider spheres of the world where there is war and want and hate…and opposition to the Gospel and many who are dying apart from Christ…I more and more often say “Lord, soon come!” But I must wait. So…this quote-

To wait is not merely to remain impassive. It is to expect–to look for with patience, and also with submission. It is to long for, but not impatiently; to look for, but not to fret at the delay; to watch for, but not restlessly; to feel that if he does not come, we will acquiesce, and yet to refuse to let the mind acquiesce in the feeling that he will not come.”

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Posted in theology, word of the week

Sunday Word of the Week- Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22).

The fruit of the Spirit is singular. It’s all one fruit. It’s not like the believer works on love one month and then patience the next and then moves on to self-control. It’s all one, and the one is love. If one loves the Savior, they will be joyful, and that joy will permeate all that he or she does, including relationships with believers and non-believers. Same with peace. Peace will characterize their relationships, and patience will be a hallmark of relationships, and so on. Continue reading “Sunday Word of the Week- Fruit of the Spirit: Patience” →

Posted in encouragement, theology

Yet!

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

“…Yet”. At my school we have a saying. If a child says “I’m not strong enough to cross the monkey bars,” we say “…yet.” If a student says “I can’t do subtraction with regrouping!” we respond, “…yet.” When a kid says “I’m no good at art!” we reply, “…yet.”

The yet is to give them hope for the future, that what seems impossible now will become possible tomorrow. It’s to give them tacit permission to allow themselves to grow and learn and wait. Space to add knowledge and have it confirmed in practice, that what they find a non-reality now will become a reality in the future.

I was thinking about these things when I read of Sarai’s comment to Abram in Genesis 16:2

And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

And as Adam listened to the voice of Eve… and not the voice of the LORD, Abram and Sarai sinned.

Sarai should have said, ‘Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children, yet. But I can’t wait until our promised child arrives!’ But no. She did not wait for the yet.

How many times had the LORD promised Abram offspring? In Genesis 12, Genesis 13, repeatedly in all of Genesis 15 in an amazing covenant ceremony. But by the beginning of Genesis 16, Sarai had apparently given up and decided that the LORD had “prevented” her from having children. See her subtle blame-shift there?

Not good. The Lord’s word is true.

For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. (Psalm 33:4).

Wait for the ‘yet’. If you’re going through a trial and you’re sure you can’t stand it another moment, wait for the yet. If you’re having financial hardship, wait for the yet. If you’re enduring a terrible medical diagnosis, wait for the yet. If you are frustrated with where the word has gone out from your lips and not come back full, wait for the yet (it will not come back void).

True, some of these issues and hardships and trials will be resolved on the other side of the veil and not on earth, but that is still a yet. You’re not healed, yet. You’re not strong enough, yet. You’re not effective enough, yet. You’re not able enough, yet. You don’t have children, yet.

It will happen. The Lord promised life abundant and everlasting.

abundant

Posted in theology, word of the week

Sunday Word of the Week- Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

Posted on by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22).

The fruit of the Spirit is singular. It’s all one fruit. It’s not like the believer works on love one month and then patience the next and then moves on to self-control. It’s all one, and the one is love. If one loves the Savior, they will be joyful, and that joy will permeate all that he or she does, including relationships with believers and non-believers. Same with peace. Peace will characterize their relationships, and patience will be a hallmark of relationships, and so on.

What IS patience? GotQuestions explains:

Answer: There are two Greek words translated as “patience” in the New Testament. Hupomonē means “a remaining under,” as when one bears up under a burden. It refers to steadfastness in difficult circumstances. Makrothumia, which is used in Galatians 5:22, is a compound formed by makros (“long”) and thumos (“passion” or “temper”). “Patience” in Galatians 5:22 literally means “long temper,” in the sense of “the ability to hold one’s temper for a long time.” The KJV translates it “longsuffering.” A patient person is able to endure much pain and suffering without complaining. A patient person is slow to anger as he waits for God to provide comfort and punish wrongdoing. Since it is a fruit of the Spirit, we can only possess makrothumia through the power and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

More here

Be patient in prayer. Be patient in sanctification. Be patient in persecution. Be patient with the children. Be patient with mockers, slanderers, and gossips.

I’ve found that praying for people brings patience, because it casts my cares and worries onto the Lord, who has His own timeline. Once an issue is on His timing, it makes being patient easier.

Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. When He works through us, we can exhibit the fruit. He grows it. As the sap that runs through the tree, His growing of us will yield beautiful fruit, an honor of the King.

Spurgeon Sermon: The Pearl of Patience

Ligonier Article: The Fruit of Patience

Ligonier Devotional: Patience and Kindness

patience is a fruit of the spirit