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Presented by Lisa Bishop
We are familiar with that well-known expression “patience is a virtue,” and we know that patience is also a Christ-like characteristic. As followers of Jesus, we are called to exercise patience in our lives as we put Jesus on display. Although we are aware that we are to practice this virtue, admittedly it’s also something we can find hard to exhibit. At least I know I can. I can’t tell you how many times I have lacked patience and prayed for more of it.
A few weeks ago, I spent the day with my cousin Jessica at the Art Institute of Chicago. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend it! I am definitely not an art aficionado, but I do value culture and creating memorable experiences. My love language is quality time after all, so getting to spend the day with my cousin filled my tank. As we were walking through the halls of what is hailed to be one of the largest art museums in the world, we came across the Canova exhibit. It showcased the work of Antonio Canova who is said to be the most celebrated European artist of his time and is renowned for his marble statues that convey a sense of “ideal beauty with remarkable lifelikeness.” As I walked through the exhibit, I marveled at the intricacies of the marble statues on display. The exhibit had a video playing in the background demonstrating the process of creating the beautiful statues from start to finish. It showed what it looks like for an artist with his tools to carefully chip away at what, to the eye, looks to be just a block of marble, until a beautiful masterpiece eventually appears.
As with many artists, before even one strike of the chisel, Conova already saw what the marble block would become. His vision for the piece was already determined. It would just take time and a (sometimes) painstaking process to bring his masterpiece to life; ultimately, it would reveal every predetermined, beautiful, meticulous detail. One of his famous sculptures, Cupid’s Kiss, is said to have taken six years to create. I can only imagine the amount of patience it must have taken over those six years to see his vision come to reality.
One dictionary definition describes patience as, “The ability to wait, or to continue doing something despite difficulties, or to suffer without complaining or becoming annoyed.” I will be the first to raise my hand and say that many times I have failed the patience test. Yet, the Bible tells us that patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. As you mature in your faith, you are to grow in patience. And growing in patience is rarely easy. In order to grow in this Christlike character, it often means being in a situation that requires it. I know that at times I have prayed for patience only to experience a situation, or shall I say “opportunity,” that was the means to produce this fruit of the Spirit in me.
The Greek word translated to patience in the New Testament means, “The characteristic of a person who is not swerved from his/her deliberate purpose or loyalty to faith by even the greatest trials and sufferings.”
What is an area of your life that may be currently trying your patience? Is there something you desire or something you have been waiting for that seems like it’s taking forever? What might be a situation in your life that requires steadfastness, faithfulness, and endurance?
When you are presented with circumstances that warrant patience, your faith can be tested. But God, in his faithfulness, will produce something beautiful in the waiting.
I was talking to a friend the other day, and she was describing what she calls the “messy middle.” Her life and career had been taking one direction when suddenly it took a massive detour she did not see coming. Now, for the past three years, she has been in the process of waiting and wondering what God is doing.
What’s your messy middle? Maybe you have been out of work and are waiting for a job so that you can relieve the financial strain and provide for your family. Maybe you are waiting for a prodigal kid to come home, for a friendship to be restored or for the redemption of a broken marriage. We all find ourselves in seasons of waiting. At times, our lives can feel like that unformed block of marble, and we wonder, “How will God take this mess and make it a masterpiece?”
I am not sure what you may be patiently or impatiently waiting for, but I do know this: God sees you. And just as the artist Canova had a vision for his artwork and what it would ultimately become, God, your Father, the ultimate, all-knowing Creator, has a plan and will bring purpose from the circumstances you currently find yourself in. While you may not know what is ahead, God does. You can trust him as he lovingly and carefully molds and shapes you in this season. The chiseling and forming in the waiting will not always feel comfortable but you can rely on God to create beauty and use everything for your good and his glory. I know sometimes it’s hard to really believe when you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel or the end of the story. But that is where the rubber hits the road in your faith. Holding onto the promise that God is trustworthy, you can be certain he is working in your circumstances.
I had lunch with a good friend of mine, Nancy, a few weeks ago. As I reflected on her life and all the trauma, disappointment, and pain she has experienced, I told her she reminded me of a modern-day Job. She’s experienced the loss of three adult children and the death of two husbands, and those were just some of the things she has experienced in her life.
I know how she perseveres and lives with joy in the midst of life’s hardships. Her hope is truly in Jesus, and she keeps her eyes securely fixed on him. She is an example of a woman of genuine faith.
A few days after we met for lunch Nancy sent me a text that said, “You and I were talking briefly about stuff that happens in our life, wondering what God’s purpose is. 1 Peter 1:7 is one of the answers to why, along with Romans 8:28 and 29.”
The 1 Peter verse she referred to says: These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:7 reminds us of the power of approaching our struggles and trials with faith, patience, and perseverance.
Patience in the “messy middle” and the hardships of life will try you. Practicing patience and trusting God will prove your faith genuine and result in the praise of your faith. Now, this does not mean you are not allowed to lament your pain. It would be inauthentic to grin and bear it. Jesus wants to bear your burdens, and he invites you to be honest about your thoughts and feelings in the process.
Romans 8:28-29, all too familiar verses we often neglect to remember and believe says: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Your faith is revealed in the middle of a mess and when your patience is tested you wonder, “Why is this happening?” or “What are you doing, God?” In my friend Nancy’s searching for the why to what happens in life, her response is, “Sometimes it helps me to have a reason, God’s reason.”
She is unwavering in knowing that God is good and for her good.
Patience requires faith that God’s perfect will prevails in your life even when it’s painful. Let me just take a minute to say that God does not cause your pain. He doesn’t delight in seeing you suffer. Yet somehow in his divine power, he will take everything that happens in your life and use it for your good. In his providence he will bring beauty, purpose and meaning out of everything because he is the God of redemption. That is his nature, his character. He will take trials and lovingly use them to conform you more and more into the image of his Son Jesus Christ.
A common misconception, especially for new believers, is that God solves all our problems, keeps us from pain, and fills our lives with only blessings and joy. If this were true, the apostle Paul would not have urged Christians to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12).
We don’t like suffering because it calls for patience. And at the same time, you are promised that it will produce something.
Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
When Paul says to rejoice in your suffering, he is not imploring you to enjoy your pain and hurt and that somehow you should be glad when trials happen. The key to this verse is the hope you have in Jesus. You can have confidence that even when your circumstances are discouraging, God is in control.
The Apostle Paul practices the patience he preached. We know the stories told of his imprisonment, and while he didn’t have a Pollyanna positive approach to unpleasant conditions, we do know he maintained a Romans 8:28 perspective.
The question is, how can you grow the Holy Spirit fruit of patience in your life in the midst of undesirable circumstances?
Here are a few suggestions, and mind you, I am coaching myself as much as I am exhorting you.
- Don’t squander the time.
There are times in my life when I have spent more time complaining than exercising patience and standing in the confidence of God. I have vowed that when difficulties or uncertainties come my way, I want to be able to look back and say I stood firmly grounded and rooted in my faith. When you are in a challenging season, recall God’s character and ask him to help you focus your gaze on him. Look for the ways he is with you, for you, and shaping his image in you. - Spend time in God’s Word.
I know this seems like faith 101 but how often are you meditating on the Word of God? Our default can be to dig into God’s Word when things get rough, but to really grow in Christ and fortify your faith, investing time in God’s Word is non-negotiable. I will state the obvious, make dwelling in Scripture a regular rhythm not just in times when you think you need it. The truth is you need God’s truth daily. - Be grateful.
Here is another word we are familiar with but how often do you express gratitude to Jesus? Find at least one thing every day to be thankful for. You may even consider keeping a gratitude journal and beginning your morning or ending your day listing all the ways God provided for you that day. And remember he is providing even in the midst of suffering so look for his provision. God is faithful so you can be grateful. - Praise.
When you are in the middle of a situation or season that requires perseverance, it’s time to put on praise music. Putting yourself in a posture of praise will elevate your mood and your perspective on your circumstances. Your situation may not change but your attitude of heart and mind will. Praise is transformative. As my friend Becky, and author of The 30-Day Praise Challenge, says, “Praise is your intentional offering of worship, strengthening your faith and unlocking the key to joy no matter what your life circumstances.”
Cultivating patience takes practice. Be intentional to make growing in the Fruit of The Holy Spirit your goal and remember to give yourself grace in the process. Ask the Holy Spirit for his help. I don’t think we call on the Holy Spirit nearly enough when Jesus tells us that he is our strength, our counselor, our wisdom, and our guide! The Holy Spirit is eager to make his presence known and to display his power in your life. Remember that God sees you. When you perverse and trust him, you will see how he makes the messy middle into a masterpiece, as he grows your faith and produces his character in you.