Faith and Patience

pastor2022 · Moderator Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 693

The Principal Part of Faith
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory
by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish,
strengthen, and settle you.

1 Peter 5:10

George MacDonald, a writer whose observations should not be quickly disregarded, once said that "the principal part of faith is patience." Our first reaction might be to disagree and say that trust is the principal part of faith. But on closer examination, MacDonald does have a point. Every example of faith in the famous eleventh chapter of Hebrews is an instance of someone whose trust in God made him or her willing to work and to wait and to endure hardship. Because it has confidence in God, real faith does not give up. It will hold a steady course for a long, long time.

Sometimes we grow impatient because we have unrealistic expectations of life. We imagine that the good life would surely be one without any significant difficulty, and so we hasten as quickly as possible through periods of struggle. Taking it for granted that a person should "retire" as soon as possible, we are eager to get past our obstacles and reap the rewards of our work. But we're not wise if we put such an emphasis on our destination that we fail to appreciate the journey itself. "The most glorious moments in your life are not the so-called days of success, but rather those days when out of dejection and despair you feel rise in you a challenge to life, and the promise of future accomplishments" (Flaubert). In the spiritual realm, this is the very outlook that is called "faith."

When a person turns to God there is often the expectation that all problems will soon disappear and that following the path of obedience will be both easy and pleasant. The reality, of course, is that the journey toward God often takes us through canyons of darkness and difficulty. Especially in the beginning of our spiritual lives, it is often true that things appear to get worse before they begin to get better. Frankly, it is hard to keep from getting impatient. But here is where faith comes in. The principal part of faith is its ability to bear a heavy burden and still keep going. What most of us need to hear every day is what the Hebrew writer said to his doubtful, discouraged readers: "You have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" (Hebrews 10:36).

Are we there yet?

Every Child's Question

lone-traveler · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:33 am Post subject:

The bible says that God IS Love. And unconditional love at that. That God is Mercy and with him is peace.

The hardest work to attain faith is believing that we will find and apprehend that Love and Mercy and Peace for ourselves.
And while we are enduring the tribulations that are opposed to love mercy and peace, we grow in patience waiting to attain while learning how to give the same.

It is in the giving when we recieve even deeper understanding. It's very difficult to give love to those who are unloving, and difficult to give mercy to those who unmerciful, and to find peace while we are at war with eachother.

But if we overcome the desire to be unloving to the unloving and unmerciful to the unmerciful, then the patience with which we endure these tribulations works peace in us.

And what shall we say of retirement?
unless it is when we have come to the end of the trials and tribulations of our faith in God, Love, Mercy , Peace, and learn to walk in unconditional love for one another being offended in nothing.

And becoming perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect.

that was an awesome post pastor 2022.
thankyou for helping me seek patience in an impatient world.

hugs
lone

nana · Bear Cub Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 625

Greetings,

Godly 'patience' has nothing to do with the patience of this world.

Godly patience, that the word speaks of, is 'holding fast to our profession of faith until the end'.

The patience of this world and patiently waiting for something expected to eventually transpire can fail and often does. In this world all the patience you can muster will not necessarily make it happen.

The true patience of the saints is no matter what evil befalls us we will never deny Christ.

Every true saint is patiently waiting for the Kingdom and the coming of Christ and though it seems a long time waiting our focus is steadfast and unwavering to the end.

This is what Hebrews and James is talking about.

In Christ, Judy

james · Bear Joined: 18 Sep 2007 Posts: 658

Galatians 5:5-6
For we though the Spirit WAIT for the hope of righteousness by FAITH.
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision; BUT FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE."

atoz · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:55 am Post subject:

lone-traveler · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:07 pm Post subject: