If you are driving a car and someone cuts in front of you and you have to step on the brakes hard to avoid a collision, what would your reaction be?
If you have been in the store for a long time, waiting to be served, and you are in a hurry, then someone new enters the store and gets served before you, what is your reaction?
Or someone takes your wallet and runs away, what would be your reaction?
These three examples would show you if you have patience or not. If you get angry, annoyed or even displeased, you have a lesson to learn before you are ready for heaven.
Patience and gentleness when suffering wrong are not prized by the people in the world (–Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 14).
Are they prized by professed Christians? When someone takes advantage of you or hurts or abuses you, and you must suffer innocently, do you value this as an opportunity to practice patience?
The world does not admire or value patience. Khrushchev, the leader of Russia said that, “if someone hit me, I will hit him back ten times harder.”
“And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.” Genesis 4:23–24
This is a characteristic of the world. If these things upset you (losing time or money), you are not ready to go to heaven. You must learn the lessons of patience. Learn the lesson from Jesus, when they were nailing His hands and feet to the cross. He did not get angry; no, He prayed to God to forgive them. Also, learn a lesson from Job. He lost his animals, his ten children, and his health, and he did not get angry or upset.
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12
The rich young man said that he had kept the commandments. But he did not have the patience of Job. The loss of his property was too difficult for him.
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1
Lay aside every weight, and every sin, and let us run with patience, the race that is before us.
Have you watched races where people run, trying to win? The shortest race is 100 meters, and some can run it in less than ten seconds. Some races in the Olympic Games are 42 km long, called marathons. The runners put every effort into their race, trying to win.
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” 1 Corinthians 9:24–25
They run to get honour and a prize, but we run a race that gives us eternal life and heaven. Our race is not a quick dash, or even for a few days; our race lasts a lifetime. Therefore, the great danger to Christians is that, after a few months or years, they become tired of running and slow down and even fall into a sleep.
The early church, so fervent, so faithful, so sacrificing and missionary minded, lost this zeal and became lukewarm, not hot or cold. Can this happen to us in this Laodicean time period?
For some professed Christians, before their patience is perfect, like Christ’s patience, they stop learning and stop advancing, being satisfied with their achievements and their character. After many years in the church they can still be impatient, and easily offended. Finally, the Holy Spirit that tried to bring them to perfection gives up on them, and leaves them alone to their quick temper, pride and impatience.
Jesus spoke a parable of the sower who went out to sow seeds. Some fell on the wayside, some on the stony ground, others among the thorns, and a few seeds fell on good ground that produced fruit, even one hundred fold. What was different between these different types of soil or human hearts?
“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Luke 8:15. On the good ground represents people who bring forth fruit with patience.
Three other types of soil look like they have endurance and patience. They all were willing to hear the Word, they all were interested, they all had Bible studies, some even joyfully accepted the Word, but patient endurance was lacking.
Have you seen young people who are very enthusiastic, full of zeal and love to God, having a missionary spirit, but after a little while it dies out? The first love is gone and they become lukewarm. What happened? Their patience ran out. Their endurance was short and limited.
They resisted the temptations for a while bravely, and they stayed away from the world and from worldly friends for a while, but after a prolonged battle and Satan’s continuous attacks, they became tired and weary and started backsliding.
Jesus said, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.
“Patience pours the balm of peace and love into the experiences of the home life. . . . Patience will seek for unity in the church, in the family, and in the community. This grace must be woven into our lives.” –My Life Today, p. 97
If the members of a family had patience towards one another, it would be a happy family. Impatience and angry words break the peace and harmony, and the happy atmosphere is gone and everybody feels miserable. Children do not enjoy the family life, but more so their friends outside. In the church, the same thing happens. When members have patience towards one another, it is a peaceful and united congregation.
Now, an important question is, how can I become patient? How can I develop this divine characteristic?
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.” Romans 5:3
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:3–4
Is there no easier way to learn patience and to become perfect? If there would be, God would use an easier method, a less painful way to learn, but there is no other way, only through sorrows, affliction, and tribulation.
David was a man of God, but he lacked patience. What did he do when Nabal offended him?
“And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: Ask the young men,
and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings. And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.” 1 Samuel 25:5, 8–13
With 400 men, David went to punish Nabal for his offense. It took five more years in the wilderness for David to learn patience.
Moses, by his rash act killed the Egyptian who oppressed an Israelite. He was not ready to lead the people of Israel. He had to learn patience, and it took 40 years to become the meekest man on the earth. Joseph had to learn patience in prison before he could be the Prime Minister of Egypt. Paul also learned patience in prison. In the school of affliction, we can learn patience, there is no easy way for us to learn.
“When you are almost ready to yield, to lose patience and self-control, to be hard and denunciatory, to find fault and accuse—this is the time for you to send to heaven the prayer, ‘Help me, O God, to resist temptation, to put all bitterness and wrath and evilspeaking out of my heart. Give me Thy meekness, Thy lowliness, Thy long-suffering, and Thy love. Leave me not to dishonor my Redeemer, to misinterpret the words and motives of my wife, my children, and my brethren and sisters in the faith. Help me that I may be kind, pitiful, tenderhearted, forgiving. Help me to be a real house-band in my home and to represent the character of Christ to others.’” –The Adventist Home, p. 214–215
If it is your sincere desire to remain calm and patient, God will help you to control yourself, then instead of angry or impatient words, you will give a soft answer.
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:1
This is Christlikeness, and we must learn it. “God has shown me that He gave His people a bitter cup to drink, to purify and cleanse them. It is a bitter draught, and they can make it still more bitter by murmuring, complaining, and repining. But those who receive it thus must have another draught, for the first does not have its designed effect upon the heart. And if the second does not effect the work, then they must have another, and another, until it does have its designed effect, or they will be left filthy, impure in heart. I saw that this bitter cup can be sweetened by patience, endurance, and prayer, and that it will have its designed effect upon the hearts of those who thus receive it, and God will be honored and glorified.” –Early Writings, p. 47
Every one of us must drink the bitter cup, it is part of our life as a Christian. Jesus said to John and James, “Can you drink the cup that I drink?” This bitter cup that God will place on our life can be made sweet by patience. Paul took pleasure in persecutions, and Peter called the fiery trials more precious than gold.
“Not with sorrow, but with rejoicing, should they meet persecution. Each fiery trial is God’s agent for their refining. Each is fitting them for their work as colaborers with Him. Each conflict has its place in the great battle for righteousness, and each will add to the joy of their final triumph. Having this in view, the test of their faith and patience will be cheerfully accepted rather than dreaded and avoided. Anxious to fulfill their obligation to the world, fixing their desire upon the approval of God, His servants are to fulfill every duty, irrespective of the fear or the favor of men.
“‘Ye are the salt of the earth,’ Jesus said. Do not withdraw yourselves from the world in order to escape persecution. You are to abide among men, that the savor of the divine love may be as salt to preserve the world from corruption.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 306
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14
Sister White called our life, the great battle for righteousness. The righteousness we are seeking is a result of a great battle, a result of running a race, a lifelong race. Satan, as a roaring lion, walking around each one of us, is seeking a weak moment to devour us. Patiently we must resist him. Not for a moment, but for as long as we live in this world of sin. Amen.
Timo Martin