Gal 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. (NIV)
The topical word study:
PATIENCE
(pa'-shens) (hupomone, makrothumia): "Patience" implies suffering, enduring or waiting, as a determination of the will and not simply under necessity. As such it is an essential Christian virtue to the exercise of which there are many exhortations. We need to "wait patiently" for God, to endure uncomplainingly the various forms of sufferings, wrongs and evils that we meet with, and to bear patiently injustices which we cannot remedy and provocations we cannot remove.
The word "patience" does not occur in the Old Testament, but we have "patiently" in Ps 40:1 as the translation of qawah, "to wait," "to expect," which word frequently expresses the idea, especially that of waiting on God; in Ps 37:7, "patiently" ("wait patiently") is the translation of qul, one of the meanings of which is "to wait" or "to hope for" or "to expect" (of Job 35:14); "patient" occurs (Eccl 7:8) as the translation of 'erekh ruach, "long of spirit," and (Job 6:11) "that I should be patient" (ha'arikh nephesh). Compare "impatient" (Job 21:4).
"Patience" occurs frequently in the Apocrypha, especially in Ecclus, e.g. 2:14; 16:13; 17:24; 41:2 (hupomone); 5:11 (makrothumia); 29:8 (makrothumeo, the Revised Version (British and American) "long suffering"); in Wisd 2:19, the Greek word is anexikakia.
In the New Testament hupomone carries in it the ideas of endurance, continuance (Luke 8:15; 21:19; Rom 5:3-4, the American Standard Revised Version"stedfastness"; 8:25, etc.).
In all places the American Revised Version margin has "stedfastness," except James 5:11, where it has "endurance"; makrothumia is translated "patience" (Heb 6:12; James 5:10); makrothumeo, "to bear long" (Matt 18:26,29; James 5:7; See LONGSUFFERING ); the same verb is translated "be patient" (1 Thess 5:14, the Revised Version (British and American) "longsuffering"; James 5:7-8, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) "patient"); makrothumos, "patiently" (Acts 26:3); hupomeno (1 Peter 2:20); anexikakos is translated "patient" (2 Tim 2:4, the Revised Version (British and American), the King James Version margin, "forbearing"); epieikes, "gentle" (1 Tim 3:3, the Revised Version (British and American) "gentle"); hupomeno (Rom 12:12, "patient in tribulation"). For "the patient waiting for Christ" (2 Thess 3:5), the Revised Version (British and American) has "the patience of Christ."
Patience is often hard to gain and to maintain, but, in Rom 15:5, God is called "the God of patience" (the American Revised Version margin "stedfastness") as being able to grant that grace to those who look to Him and depend on Him for it. It is in reliance on God and acceptance of His will, with trust in His goodness, wisdom and faithfulness, that we are enabled to endure and to hope stedfastly. (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
PATIENCE
Forebearance under suffering and endurance in the face of adversity. Two Greek words are translated as patience: makrothymia (Heb 6:12; James 5:10) and hypomone (Matt 18:26,29). The former word generally expresses patience with regard to people. It is also translated longsuffering as a quality of God (Rom 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) and is listed by the apostle Paul as one of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22).
The second word, hypomone, generally expresses patience with regard to things. It may be described as the quality that enables a person to be "patient in tribulation" (Rom 12:12). The Christian has for his example the patience of Jesus, who "endured the cross" (Heb 12:2). The Christian is challenged to run with endurance the race that is set before him (Heb 12:1). (Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Father, help me to continue to learn patience. In the times in which we live and especially the city in which I live, everything is a get-it-know mentality. Please help me to learn to be patient and wait for Your timing and Your will for the direction of my life. To many times I want to take control of my life thinking it isn’t going fast enough for me. However, You know what is best and when it is best. Help me to make a willful decision to trust Your timing in every decision I make.
Previous Posts:
Self-Control
Gentleness
Faithfulness
Goodness
Kindness
2 comments:
It's all in God's timing. God never says to you or to me, "Here's what I want. Do it when you're ready". Part of being patient and listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is hearing the call to act when God wants us to act. The timing is everything, because it's God's timing that matters - not yours or mine!
Very well said LTL!
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