What comes to your mind, when you hear the word, ‘Patience’?
My wife Sangeetha and I have to sometimes pray, ‘Lord, give us patience’, when parenting our darling son, Reuben, who prefers playtime over study. If you have prayed that prayer, have you ever wondered what you are really asking for?
So far, I was under the impression that patience was an attribute of one’s character, until I read what the Scripture has to say about it. James 1:4 reads … let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. This verse expresses that patience is personified as a person (her) who actively works not only until perfection (perfect) but also until completion (entire, wanting nothing). Hold that thought.
When talking about the greatness of Love in 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, the Scripture states that there are three things that remain. These are Faith, Hope and Love.
What does this have to do with patience?
Faith is patience with God;
Hope is patience with self and
Love is patience with others
Now, what comes to mind, when you hear the word, ‘Patience’? Let it be the things that remain, Faith, Hope and Love until we are found perfect, and entire, not wanting anything.
James 1:4 (KJV)
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing
Mano Paul
Thank you Suresh and Mary; I am merely the messenger and thank God for the opportunity to be his servant and mouthpiece. This revelation should be truly attributed to its supposed originator who was another servant of Christ – (Late) Adel Azer Bestavros, a supreme court lawyer in Egypt, a fervent servant, preacher and Bible scholar.
God bless.
Mary Anitha Konatham
Excellent explanation of Faith, Hope and Love using Patience. Never heard or thought of them in terms of patience.
Thanks for Sharing this.
Suresh Chandra Bose
Nicely put by you Mano…Never looked patience this way before from Faith, Hope and Love.