I was reading a book recently in which the author quoted Galatians 5:22-23. As I began to read those verses I began to basically say them from memory. You and I know these verses as the “Fruits of the Spirit.” So as I began to say them from memory it occurred to me that the translation in which I had memorized those verses was different from the translation in which the author used. When I got to the word ”patience” I realized that the King James version of the bible obviously calls patience “longsuffering.” I paused and meditated for a moment on “longsuffering.” Wow…a little bit of a different perspective for me when it comes to patience and longsuffering. I think too often we just think of being patient as waiting on something. Too often we miss the richness of the meaning when we think of waiting in a manner that can be long and it can cause us to suffer. Let me provide a few examples: losing weight, building character, and spiritual growth. In our “have it now” oriented culture we cannot tolerate the thought of having to wait, work, and suffer for the end result. We want weight loss, integrity, and full devotion and we want it now! We have to remember that we may need to stick with the program and suffer for a period of time that will build character and discipline. Hmmm…this is starting to sound like a familiar passage.
Romans 5:3-4 says:
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Interesting that this passage even says to REJOICE in that suffering! The end result will build perseverance, character, & hope. I don’t know about you but I need all of those qualities!
After that I looked up the same passage in Galatians to see how The Message translation reads. It says this in regards to patience : we develop a willingness to stick with things. That’s what I need, a willingness to stick with things through the long haul. I know that the end result will be worth it! I have to be willing to stick with it through the suffering to build those qualities in my life that will be so worth it in the end. So just remember, the “suffering” will turn to perseverance and then it will build character and ultimately give you hope. So stick with whatever it is that God is building in your life.
