We live in a world where there is little patience and virtually no patient endurance. Take a drive on any highway in this country or others, and you will soon agree that patience is replaced with impatience. Cars rushing about, speeding, and cutting you off, and always in a hurry to get somewhere. Rarely do you arrive relaxed and free of stress. Fast food was developed and has become successful because people are unwilling to take the time to sit down and eat. Sit-down restaurants are also successful, with waiting lines seven days a week because people are unwilling to take the time to prepare a meal. In a fast-paced world where everything is expected yesterday, it’s a paradox because lines get longer, the number of prompts increase while you are on hold, and the daily commute becomes intolerable. We live in a very impatient world. All of this impatience has caused short tempers, retaliation, shallow relationships, and a life without direction. When things don’t get done as fast as fallen humanity demands, their tempers flare, and many retaliate with insults and cursing. When they are wronged or needlessly suffer, they threaten and retaliate. Fallen humanity for the most part is unwilling to take the time to build strong relationships; instead they have become experts in social greetings and faking an empathetic concern for others. Moreover, because of their impatience, they have lost all direction and rush about making quick decisions and hastily deliberating on important matters. Unfortunately we even see this among many of the world’s leaders who often make rash decisions without thoroughly examining all the facts. Instead of working as a true peacemaker, the just war theory is often twisted to accommodate the ruling class’s drive toward world secularization and financial dominance. To bring true peace to a beleaguered world or even the family unit it takes patient endurance. If a Christian follows the world’s path, he will not stand firm in the last days. On the other hand, it is essential for the Christian to have patient endurance as he makes the good confession that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. In a world torn apart by civil war we need patient endurance as we make the good confession. In a world of broken homes and boundless divorces we need patient endurance to make the good confession. Our confession is that God makes all things new for those who put their trust in Him. The Christian who makes the good confession will need to endure patiently because he will be persecuted. Fallen humanity will vehemently disagree with your theology. They will accuse you of being a religious fanatic, subversive, and a hater of humanity. The Global City (New World Order) will require your participation in their organizations, institutions of learning, and seminars of self-help. There will be great pressure to accept psychology as a proven medical science, to utilize their prescription drug plan, and to participate in their philosophy of tolerance. When the pressures of the world fall upon the Christian and persecutions arise to harass him for not following the world’s drive toward secularization, there will be a great temptation to lie or deceive the persecutor. Many will be tempted to agree with fallen humanity whenever they profess their lies, spout their secular psychology, or rehearse their vain philosophies in their hearing. Yet by doing so, this deceives their neighbor, is a sin against God, and demonstrates their unwillingness to endure patiently. God says that if we are to stand in the last days, we need to learn patient endurance as we confess the truth. As a pupil learns to write by tracing over the letters of the alphabet, Christians learn patient endurance by following the steps of Christ in His suffering. Christ has already blazed the trail before us and if we place our step in His then we shall learn all that is needed to endure patiently during the coming distress. Picture if you will, children following their parents in the snow by placing their little feet in the exact step as their parents, and that is exactly how we follow Christ in His patient endurance —one step at a time. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3). Let me encourage you to endure patiently whatever you may be going through trusting in God’s providence to bring you through as a testimony to His love and mercy. Maintain your positive attitude and continue to do good one to another in the midst of your greatest trials. Furthermore, slow down and let your patient endurance be known to all, for in your patient endurance you will find the time to express the depth of your Christian love. Remember what Christ said on the Cross of Calvary, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (See Luke 23:34). Out of the depth of our love flows forgiveness – the path to peace! Are you not willing to endure patiently?
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 02:20:21 +0000
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