Who among us has no need for patience? Parents have an enormous need for patience because of the growth and the maturing of children. We know that their “growing up” will see many obstacles, and as parents we must be patient with them as they find their way in life.
When Jesus prepared His disciples for the task that would follow His crucifixion and resurrection, He told them of the troubles that awaited them. Luke 21 tells of Jesus giving instructions to them as they prepared to take the gospel to the world. The world itself would face great “earthquakes”, “famine” and deadly “pestilence” coinciding with the apostles’ persecution. His people would need a huge dose of “patience”.
Here we must define our terms. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines patience as it is commonly used today:
“..The power to wait calmly; endurance of pain or provocation without complaint.”
We can picture a father teaching a child to ride a bicycle, all the time exhibiting “patience”. Perhaps it’s a coach explaining how to throw, catch, or hit a baseball. It takes “patience,” a quality often more easily described or observed than to practice. Yes, all today need patience, and most of all, Christians need patience.
In Luke 21:16-19, Jesus tells
His closest friends, His apostles,
that they would face hatred, betrayal and death as they did their Master’s work. But in verse 21, note the imperative:
“…In your patience, possess ye your souls.”
We realize that, while “wait calmly” can play a part in the Christian’s life, it cannot be the entire significance of “patience” here. In fact, the Greek word that is translated “patience” carries with it an additional quality to merely “waiting”. In his Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words, W. E. Vine states that terms like “endurance, perseverance and steadfastness” better describe that thought. Someone may “patiently wait” for the outcome to be seen more clearly, but there is still the need for endurance, for perseverance in the face of the opposition they would be facing, as described in the context of Luke 21. His apostles would be opposed, deceived, imprisoned and otherwise persecuted, but they must be “patient,” willing to persevere in their everyday faith efforts. They must be determined to endure whatever Satan might place in their path.
Even in our daily tasks in the business world there is a need for this kind of “patience.” The salesperson cannot give up at the slightest hesitance on the part of the potential buyer. The mechanic cannot give up until the “problem” is discovered and solved. Giving up when the “going gets tough” results in failure – and failure is not to be readily accepted on the part of the Christian, the parent, the spouse, the teacher or the preacher.
Satan and his cronies do not give up easily. Often they are more diligent, more determined than those who follow Jesus. For every determined servant of Satan there must be at least one “patient” servant of Christ. He has promised that He will be with us, and He reveals to us that the gospel is “the power of God unto salvation,” Romans 1:16. If we wield the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” Ephesians 6:17, we will have the advantage. The “powerof God” is greater than any power Satan or any of his ministers may possess, Luke 1:37; 5:10; 18:27.
But – we must be “patient,” we must steadfastly persevere in our responsibilities to our God:
- In our efforts of evangelism.
- In our standards of ethics, morals.
- In our searching, study and understanding of God’s word.
- In our support of those taking the truth of God to difficult places.
- In the way we treat our family, our friends – and even our enemies.
- In the way we approach our jobs and personal responsibilities.
The effect of such an attitude? We “possess,” we control, obtain and guide the destiny of our souls. And that is the
“hope of eternal life” every Christian can enjoy,
Titus 1:2; 3:7. Whatever you do, don’t give up!
