Thought for Today
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.
Micah 2:7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Is the LORD's patience exhausted? Are these his doings? Do not my words do good to one who walks uprightly?
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Galatians 5:22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
Are you a patient person? Not, ‘are you a patient?’ Many of us, especially those of us ‘of an age,’ are patients. But, how many of us have patience? Many of us who are ‘of an age’ remember those adages of our childhoods, “Patience is a virtue,” “Slow and steady wins the race,” etc. Are you virtuous . . . at least about patience?
I have always loved the definition of faith in Hebrews, “11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Being a Christian necessitates that we must have patience to be thus assured and to have that conviction. However, many of us have heard that ironic tale about the Christian who prayed, “Dear God, please give me patience . . . and, I want it right now!”
I do not believe our modern society places much value on patience. I have heard our society described as being driven by a demand for instantaneous gratification of every wish and desire. We want it all and we want it right now!!
I do remember that when I was a young boy, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed at least as long as the time between Christmas and Thanksgiving. My parents would encourage me to just be patient. They would assure me that Christmas was ‘right around the corner;’ but, I knew that the corner was far too distant to be seen.
For many years, I could not wait to be . . .. I wanted to be an adult. I wanted to be able to vote. I wanted. Then, at some point, I realized that I was wishing my life away. Possibly, I realized that when, I attained some of those wished-for milestones and found that little of value in my life had changed.
Was I an impatient person? Am I an impatient person? Yes; no; maybe; sometimes about some things. Whenever I think about patience and about waiting, I remember something I first heard in seminary. “Hillel (. . . variously called Hillel the Elder or Hillel the Babylonian; died c. 10 CE) was a Jewish religious leader, sage and scholar associated with the development of the Mishnah . . . Hillel is popularly known as the author of . . . ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?’" (en.wikipedia.org)
Adult Christians are called to deal with all 3 of Hillel’s questions. The first 2 questions deal with our sense of ego and self-importance. We are all children of God. If, like me, you are a fan of some tee shirt theology, you may have encountered some version of “God does not make junk.” Christians must balance our egos against our humility. Remember, part of Micah’s understanding of what God requires of us is, “6:8 . . . to walk humbly with your God.”
We are also, however, called to answer Hillel’s third question, “And if not now, when?” Every time we encounter injustice, evil, hatred, poverty and want in our world and are not motivated to challenge ‘the system,’ we must consider, “if not now, when?”
As Christians, how do we balance patience against injustice? Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “4:1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” That is our Christian calling and our Christian challenge.
Do we respond according to Aesop’s fable about the tortoise and the hare and remember “Slow and steady wins the race?” Or, do we respond in answer to “if not now, when?” How do we know when to be patient and work slowly and steadily? How do we discern when immediate action is required?
I believe we find the answer in the Bible. I believe Christians are called to heed the words of Micah, “6:8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” At the same time, we are called to remember the words of Jesus, "Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
Stay safe, love, trust God,
Pastor Ray