Patience and Long-Suffering, Part 2

My Bible reading today was about kindness.  One of the passages was Colossians 1:9-10.  I read the entire chapter and verse 11 says, "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness."  Well that certainly caught my attention!  I turned to e-Sword and some of my favorite commentaries to see what they had to say about the use of these two words in the same verse.

John Wesley's Notes on the Bible:

Strengthened unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness - This is the highest point: not only to know, to do, to suffer, the whole will of God; but to suffer it to the end, not barely with patience, but with thankful joy.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible:

Unto all patience - So that you may be enabled to bear all your trials without complaining. It is only the power of God that can enable us to do that.
And long-suffering - slowness to anger or passion; longsuffering, patient endurance, forbearance. It is opposed to haste; to passionate expressions and thoughts, and to irritability. It denotes the state of mind which can bear long when oppressed, provoked, calumniated, and when one seeks to injure us.

David Guzik's Enduring Word Commentary:

As we walk worthy of the Lord, His strength is there to help us meet all of life’s challenges, and to endure and overcome problems with circumstances (patience) and people (longsuffering) with joy.

 

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible:

unto all patience; to bring forth fruit with patience; to run with patience the race set before them; to bear patiently all afflictions and tribulations; to wait patiently for the things promised by God, and for the coming and appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the heavenly glory or hope laid up for them in heaven:
and longsuffering; to be slow to anger, and not easily provoked to wrath; to be ready to forgive injuries; and to bear long, and with patience, all reproaches and persecutions for the sake of Christ, and his Gospel; all which require daily fresh supplies of grace and strength, especially to endure all.

 

To be able to be patient and long-suffering, we need God's strength and glorious power.  When we have that, we can endure with joy.

Long-Suffering

I mentioned on January 1st that I would be doing a variety of Bible studies this year.  This week I started "Fresh Fruit," a study of the fruit of the Spirit.  Each day has contained a short devotion and several scriptures pertaining to that day's fruit - love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.  Reading in the app, I can read the verses that are included, but I've found that is not quite enough, so I then read the entire chapters.

I thought today's topic fell short.  The fruit for today is long-suffering.  The version of the Bible used by the writers used the word patience instead.  I don't feel that those two words are 100% interchangeable so I wanted to look at long-suffering a little more.

The Greek definition of long-suffering is longanimity, that is, (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude: - longsuffering, patience.  Longanimity, according to Merriam-Webster is, "a disposition to bear injuries patiently, forbearance."

The Greek definition of patience is cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).  *I believe many of us have learned to wait, but cheerfully waiting is still a work in progress.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible says about long-suffering, "Long-mindedness, bearing with the frailties and provocations of others, from the consideration that God has borne long with ours; and that, if He had not, we should have been speedily consumed: bearing up also through all the troubles and difficulties of life without murmuring or repining; submitting cheerfully to every dispensation of God’s providence, and thus deriving benefit from every occurrence."

Each time the word long-suffering is used in the Old Testament, it talks about God's long-suffering.  Interestingly, the word patience is not found in the Old Testament. The Hebrew definition of long-suffering is a combination of two words:

'ârêk - long: - long [-suffering, -winged], patient, slow [to anger].

'aph - properly the nose or nostril; hence the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire: - anger (-gry), + before, countenance, face, + forbearing, forehead, + [long-] suffering, nose, nostril, snout,  worthy, wrath.

When combined, it means "long of nose" (or "breathing"), and, as anger was indicated by rapid, violent breathing through the nostrils, "long of anger," or "slow to wrath." It is associated with "great kindness" and "plenteous in mercy."  Have you ever been SO angry, but instead of responding, you concentrated on your breathing, trying to calm yourself down?  Maybe you counted to 10, or even 100.  I think God's long-suffering is like that, but He probably has to count to one million, then start over, when dealing with some of us.

1 Corinthians chapter 13 is the well known "love" chapter.  One of the characteristics of charity is that it suffers long.  We can't patiently endure or be slow to anger without love.  Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible says about 1 Corinthians 13:4, "It can endure evil, injury, and provocation, without being filled with resentment, indignation, or revenge. It makes the mind firm, gives it power over the angry passions, and furnishes it with a persevering patience, that shall rather wait and wish for the reformation of a brother than fly out in resentment of his conduct. It will put up with many slights and neglects from the person it loves, and wait long to see the kindly effects of such patience on him."

Long-suffering is taking patience to the next level.  It's not just waiting.  It's waiting without being filled with resentment.  It's enduring without seeking revenge.  It's a mind that is firm, that doesn't give in to angry passions.  It takes God's love in our hearts to be long-suffering.

Living the Aloha Spirit

Yesterday was a day that really challenged our patience.  Les and I spent two weeks on Oahu and were ready to get home.  We arrived at the airport at 1:30 p.m. for our 3:35 flight.   We boarded on time as usual and then sat on the plane and waited.  And waited...

Almost two hours later we had to deplane due to a mechanical issue.  We were told we would received an update at 5:30.  5:30 came and went and we were told an update would come at 6:00.  In the meanwhile, I watched several of our crew members walk through our gate area, with their luggage.  "This can't be good," I told Les.  Flight attendants can only work a certain number of hours before they must leave work.  It's for their safety and for the safety of passengers.

We received an announcement around 6:15 letting us know that our flight was delayed until 8:30.  Our plane was ready but a new flight crew had to be scrambled together for our long flight. Our original flight was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles at 11:00 p.m.  Our delayed flight was scheduled to arrive at 4:00 A.M.  Ouch!

Did I mention most of the restaurants in the airport were closed because food service workers were on strike?

Here's where Hawaiian Airlines made a difference:
Because the restaurants were closed they brought in snack boxes and water/juice for everyone.
Thirty minutes later they brought in sandwiches, chips, and more water/juice.
Shortly before we boarded our flight, they made an announcement that everyone was going to receive a $100 travel voucher.

I have been on delayed flights with other airlines many times.  Not once have we received any of the things Hawaiian Airlines provided.  We've sat for hours in terminals with nothing more than an insincere "sorry" and spent our own money on overpriced airport food.  The Hawaiian Airlines ground crew did a great job making everyone as comfortable as possible.

All the things they did to make us a little more comfortable didn't get us to Los Angeles any earlier.  It didn't make going to bed at 5:00 this morning hurt any less.  But it did make us feel like they considered us human beings, not just a nuisance that was filling their airplane.

The lesson here?  There are some things that are unpleasant that can't be avoided.  A mechanical issue on a plane is not something to ignore.  Patience and kindness go a long, long way.  Patience on our part as we waited was key.  Stamping my feet and hassling the gate agent wouldn't have gotten me home any quicker and it would have made everyone a little unhappier.  Kindness on the part of Hawaiian Airlines as they tried to get us on our way.  Their sincere apologies, the food and travel vouchers, all of that said they understood how inconvenient this was for everyone.  They embodied the "Aloha Spirit" that Hawaii is known for.

While working on this post, I found that there is actually a state law in Hawaii called "The Aloha Spirit" law.  It says in part, "These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaiʻi. ''Aloha'' is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. ''Aloha'' means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. "Aloha" is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. ''Aloha'' means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable."

We live in an angry world.  People lash out because they are "offended" at every turn.  They want to coexist as long as you agree with them.  The Bible has much to say about how we are to treat our fellow man.  The Apostle Paul summed it up nicely in Colosians 3:12-14, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."

In this final shopping weekend before Christmas, while you're slipping on your shoes, don't forget to also put on mercy, kindness, meekness, longsuffering and charity.  It won't make the line move more quickly, but you will go home without the baggage of unkindness.

The Long Spiritual Migration

Pastor White preached a very thought provoking message Sunday night.  His text was from Acts 28:1-11.  The setting is when Paul is shipwrecked on the island of Melita.  The barbarous people first thought Paul was a murderer when a viper came out of the fire, then they assumed he was a god because he wasn't killed.  He was on the island for three months, there were miracles of healing, but as far as we know there were no converts.  In the life of the great Apostle Paul, that seems quite unusual, but spiritual migration must take place in the heart and soul of individuals.

We can't take anyone farther then they are willing to travel.  We must not practice "railroading" people into the kingdom - let God do the work.  A competition to see how many we can baptize is not encouraging when all those who were baptized never show up again.

On the Day of Pentecostal, in Acts chapter 2, there was a mighty outpouring of the Holy Ghost.  Three thousand souls!  But those people were already on their spiritual journey.  They were Jews who believed in one God.  They were ready for the next step.  We see this often in the first half of the book of Acts.

The second half of the book of Acts is where we are living.  We are reaching out to people who don't know God, just as Paul was called to the Gentiles.  The time frame that Paul spent in one place, working with people, teaching them daily, having lengthy conversations, was from three months to two years!  We can't expect to win someone to God when we only visit them once every six months.  We need to be patient and consistent as they make the long spiritual migration.

In Acts chapter 18, Paul is in Corinth.  The Lord told him, "I have much people in this city."  But a Holy Ghost revival didn't break out the next day.  Paul spent one year and six months teaching the word of God among them.  

In Acts chapter 19, Paul is in Ephesus.  The first seven verses tell of 12 instant converts.  These 12 were disciples of John the Baptist who were ready for the next step.  In verses 8 and 9, Paul spends three months with zero results.  But he continued for two years and the estimate is 40-60,000 believers!

Pastor White told the true story of the American Whooping Crane.  This bird is found primarily in the southeastern United States.  Remains have been found as far north as Wisconsin, but the birds stopped migrating about a thousand years ago.  The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership has been working to teach the birds how to migrate.  It has been a long process:

• First, the members had to bond with the cranes.  They spent time with them in the fields, in casual settings.
• Second, they slowly earned their trust.  Birds are wary of hunters.  The members shared with the birds from their picnic baskets.
• Third, they had to get the birds to follow their scent.
• When the cranes would follow the scent, the members then started bringing ultra lite airplanes connected with their scent, teaching the birds to follow the airplanes.  Over the course of about six weeks, the birds follow the airplanes, migrating from Florida to Wisconsin.  They don't try to lead the birds non-stop.  They take their time, making plenty of stops.

Our job is more important than teaching birds to migrate!  We've got to take them back 2,000 years.  But don't be weary.  Don't get discouraged when your contact doesn't become a convert overnight.  Keep leading them, step by step.  Let them get to know you, trust you, and follow you on the path to righteousness.

Are We There Yet?

Les and I were discussing his Sunday school lesson for this past week. The topic was patience. Job is the one we always look to as an example of patience, but we spent some time talking about someone else...

Caleb was one of the 12 spies sent out by Moses. He and Joshua were the only ones who came back with a good report. Caleb "stilled the people" trying to convince them to go forth at once. (Numbers 13:30)

Caleb then received a promise from God. Yes, he would have to spend 40 years in the wilderness, but he would get to go into the promise land.

Fast forward 40 years. The next generation is going in to the promise land. We don't hear a word from Caleb for another FIVE years. Every bit of the land is conquered when Caleb says to Joshua "Give me this mountain." (Joshua 14:12)

Caleb was 85 years old when he received his inheritance. He watched all of his peers die. He watched others settle into the land. When Caleb gets his land, then "the land had rest from war." (Joshua 14:15) As far as I can tell, Caleb was the last one!

What an example to follow! How many times have we watched someone else receive a blessing or a healing or an answered prayer while we are still waiting? The definition of patience is "cheerful or hopeful endurance." It's waiting with a smile, even when others receive their promise.

Don't despair when your answer doesn't come as quickly as you'd like. Hebrews 10:36 says "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." Do the will of God and trust Him to send the promise... even when it take 45 years!

Just Let It Unfold

On my way back from the mailbox yesterday I saw this in my front yard:



What caught my attention was not the single rose in the bloom, but the many buds just waiting to burst forth!


I immediately thought of the poem "Just Let It Unfold"

It's only a tiny rosebud
A flower of God's design
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I
The flower God opens so sweetly
Would in my hands fade and die

If I cannot unfold the rosebud
This flower of God's design
Then how can I think that I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for His leading
Each moment of every day
And I'll look to Him for his Guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way

For the pathway that lies before me,
My heavenly Father knows
And I'll trust Him to unfold the moments
Just as He unfolds the rose.
- Author Unknown

I have heard that poem and the message by Elder Morton my entire life. God really does a great job unfolding our lives when we let Him. If you are in the "rosebud" stage, I encourage you to keep waiting. Don't worry about those who seem to have bloomed already. Just as the rest of the buds on my rosebush, your time will come.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time..."