Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Friday February 22, 2008

One of the qualifications for those who enter the calling God has placed on me is the character trait of patience. Patience is not only a virtue but a necessity when dealing with eternal things as they work their way in the heart of mere humans. Pastoring people can be exasperating at times and mind numbing at others. Patience in the biblical meaning calms the soul and gives a tranquil mind about things.

The Bible portrays godly men and women as those who patiently await the will of God, await the fulfillment of long unfulfilled prophesy with hearts filled with patience. We are told that the correct way of man with a maid requires patience, so not only pastors need patience, but all humans in every field of endeavor.

A recurring theme in Shakespeare's work is the loss of the goal due to impatience. The world is full of men and women who quit something just before things changed and the longed for success fell into someone else's lap. I recall reading a bit of wisdom that postulated, "With time, patience and expert work, the Mulberry leaf becomes silk." Patience is required to keep on going even when it appears that nothing is happening.

Shakespeare gives a line in Othello on patience that should be written on a card and carried for ready reference.

"How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees? Thou know'st we work by wit, and not by witchcraft; And wit depends on dilatory time."

Igao Othello (II, iii, 376-379)

The Bard rightly pointed out that success in life does not come as a result of some magic trick, but by wit, meaning the application of your skill and often that of others to achieve a project, climb a mountain or build a life or church. While the fantasy of magic may be instant, real progress comes a little at a time. As a wound heals, little by little, so the best things in life are won. This principle is stated in the whoop de doo articles as setting goals and having a plan in place to measure your daily or weekly progress toward the achievement of the goal. I recall a method I have used with reasonable success. Write down your goal. Write out what you plan to give in exchange for the goal. This will involve time, talent and treasure. This is using your "wit" in an organized effort projected toward something, and you decide on the something. When the goal will reached is one the most important parts of goal setting or properly, Teleology, the science of reaching the target.

You would be hard pressed to think of something worthwhile that does not require patience. The Biblical idea of patience does not involve sitting around waiting for something to happen. It does mean a patience that knows the nature of things and then does the things that must be done while waiting for the harvest, such as pulling weeds, killing bugs that would kill the harvest, watering a parched field artificially, and doing these things and other tasks without frustration. In God's time the harvest will come to fruition. And then, at just the right time, the Harvest is ready for reaping. Truth is, the harvest will be ready whether you have fretted or not. If you have been doing the necessary things patiently, you will not have anxiety ulcers, worry blood pressure or a fractured mind. The choice is yours. James 5:8 states it in the grand manner:

"Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

We are taught to patiently await the ultimate fulfillment of promise as He is coming whether or not we are patient, but when we do learn patience we are beneficiaries of special inner peace while we wait.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2008 Use with credit.

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