Patience to Grow

“Patience is a Virtue.”  We all know this because we have heard it many times.  What is Patience?  What is a Virtue?  Why is Patience a Virtue?  To understand the answers to those questions, lets understand where the phrase originated.

We live in a day and age where it’s the norm to throw out clichés.  “Everything will work out in due time.”  “Let go and let God.”  “Patience is a virtue.”  The problem with clichés is not that they may not be true, but that they are overly and improperly used more times than none.  A cliché is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning, or effect, and even, to the point of being trite or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel.  So when clichés are used, the person receiving is not receptive to the true meaning.

One cliché heard throughout my life is the previously stated “Patience is a virtue”.  Like other phrases that have turned into clichés, this has derived from the Bible.  Patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, who guides our actions and path.  A virtue is a positive trait or quality deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being.  Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting collective and individual greatness. The opposite of virtue is vice.  Therefore Patience is a characteristic of the Holy Spirit, which also means Patience is a Virtue of the Spirit.

King James Version
Galatians 5:22-23 says, “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

New International Version
Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Amplified Version
Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law (that can bring a charge].

This is neither about clichés nor the fact that many don’t know common phrases and sayings are derived from the Bible.  This is about Patience.  This is the same Patience David spoke about in Psalms.

New International Version
Psalm 37:7-9
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Before we dig into these verses, allow me to digress and share quite the fitting story.

With today's economy there is a steady increase of the margins from Poor to Upper Class.  In return, the Middle Class is being phased out and we are ending up with the Haves and Have Nots.  All across America we have seen households that could not afford Healthcare by either not working a full time job, or plainly not being able to afford the costs.  Many of us take this for granted because we tend to not have annual dentist appointments and physical and eye exams.  For many of us who seem healthy on the outside with no symptoms of health problems, it’s relatively easy to think we've wasted thousands of dollars on health insurance.  We've grown accustomed to thinking, it’s better to have it and not need it than not have it and need it.  What would happen if you were a part of the Poor Class?  What would happen if you were the head of your family, working overtime, and despite doing everything “right”, was only able to keep your family head above water long enough for the next pay check?  What would happen if a sudden unexpected life change occurred and you now find yourself utilizing the health insurance that you deem a waste of money to help with the cost of your child’s medical expenses?  What would happen when you find out that the health insurance was not willing to pay the total costs of the procedure that will save your child’s life?  This may seem like an unfortunate time of events, but it was the case for Michael, a child who needed a heart transplant.  What do you do?

Naturally, when you ask a Christian in church, they will say, “I would start praying.”  Ask that same person outside of church two days earlier, Friday evening, after a long day at work, one week after payday, and you might get a different response.  It’s something about a pay week that makes you feel good knowing that you are about to receive a deposit in your bank account.  It also allows you to temporarily forget all the bills that will be paid the following week, and want to purchase those couple of things you don’t need.  Now that you have money, you BMF (Blow Money Fast).  As I stated, what would happen if this was the week after you got paid?  You’ve already paid a couple of bills, spent money on those couple of items that you really don’t need and now you receive a letter stating the health insurance, which you was counting on paying the surgery costs, will no longer?

When placed into extreme situations, we will either spiritually push closer to God, or react from a physical cause and affect stance.  Children were never asked to be brought into this world, so as a Parent, we have an immediate notion to protect our children at all costs.  You ask any Parent if they would be willing to give their own life for their child and without thinking the natural consensus would be yes.  With all the unnecessary murders that occur in Chicago, Illinois, you would think organ donation would be higher.  Even if it is, the untimely circumstance of Michael, created a push in the opposite direction for Michael’s father.  As one could imagine, Michael’s father was overly patient on the outside, but frantic inside as he counted down the seconds, minutes, hours, and days Michael had left.

The problem Michael’s father faced was not that he was told there was nothing that could be done, but that he believed there was nothing else that could be done.  Point blank, without money, the Poor Class cannot pay for necessary amenities that are available to the Middle and Upper Classes.  Credit?  You need money to show good faith that you can in fact have the means to pay later what you are consciously not paying for upfront, or cannot pay for upfront.  Naturally, you would ask, why not call organizations, care providers, and even doctors to see what all can be done?  As the saying goes, “Time is money, and money can afford lots of time.”  No one does favors for someone who appears the favor can never be reciprocated at a later time.  Due to this, no one was even willing to hear this one of many thousands of problems concerning a healthcare procedure to save a life.  This was especially the case due to the fact that waiting lists allocate usable organs to persons at the top of the list.  As stated, money can afford lots of time, and if Michael’s father had money, a list would not be a problem.  Faced with a problem, as any parents do, Michael’s father tried to solve the problem rather than asking God for guidance and support.

As with most extreme circumstances, leaning on God as a first choice is easier said than done.  To have faith is something God requires of us.  This is because it’s so easy to believe and understand what our minds understand to be a natural order as opposed to believing that which we cannot understand.  When we have faith to trust that God will pull us through any circumstance we encounter, He will provide a peace of mind as we grow.

Trusting his own abilities and understanding the limitations of what he was told, Michael’s father attempted one last resort.  This resort was to commit suicide, and use his heart to save the life of his son.  As the trigger was pulled, which caused a reaction as a jump of nerves, there was a click with no bang.  For some reason, the safety was still on, which gave just enough time for Michael’s father to get enough nerve to attempt another pull of the trigger.  Just before one complete squeeze, Michael’s father got word that there was a match for a heart transplant.  Due to his lack of faith, Michael’s father was charged, went to jail, and as a result, missed important years of his son’s life.  If only he had faith that God would see them through, Michael’s father would have saw the unraveling of a perfect path God setup.  Solomon told us not to lean on our own understandings. 

New International Version
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own undersanding;

When we do not trust in God we inadvertently veer off an established path for one we create.  If create as you go is better than planned, then the notion of a planned idea would be pointless.   If Michael’s father realized what is impossible for man is possible for God, he would have prayed as Paul said, without ceasing.

King James Version
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

If Michael’s father patiently waited for the matching donor to be available, Michael would have not only had a new heart, but he would have had his father next to him during his recovery.  The path Michael’s father created was different than the path God outlined thus making the journey much less ideal.  Even though God is merciful, He gave us free will to travel a path we create with our own understandings.

New International Version
Deuteronomy 4:31
For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.

It’s not enough to have faith. Faith needs action to confirm the believing.  If we simply have faith and act by trusting God has a solution we will grow with each situation we encounter.  As always these trials are designed to equip us with the necessary tools we need for the next trial, but if we divert from God’s path by acting on a way out of the circumstance, then we directly stunt our spiritual growth.  Trust in God, have faith that God has a plan, and have patience to see the path expose itself as you grow.

English Standard Version
James 2:14
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?