There are a lot of unknowns in life. If we’re being honest, everything is unknown. This makes the concept of patience a little bit muddy. If mankind truly has no control over our next moments, what are we waiting for?
It’s easy to create an image in our minds of exactly what we’re waiting on. We can wait for jobs, marriage, promotions, children, retirement, all without ever knowing when or how (or if) those things will come. If I’m being honest, this humbling realization has brought feelings of restlessness, confusion, and even hopelessness. That’s the frustratingly ironic thing about our Enemy. He likes to distort our heavenly, hope-prompting revelations and use them to make us hopeless. But I don’t want to let him do that anymore.
The truth is, as believers in Jesus Christ, we wait because we have hope. Merely skimming the New Testament will reveal over and over again that “we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.” (Titus 2:23) This “looking forward” can only be done patiently. We are told in Hebrews 10:36 that “patient endurance is what [we] need now, so that [we] will continue to do God’s will. Then [we] will receive all that He has promised.”
The Hebrew word for patience is savlanut. The dictionary definition (for both the Hebrew and English words) will tell us that it means the ability to wait quietly or face rejection or delay; ability to bear calmly and with self-control upsetting situations. This isn’t far off at all. However, the Hebrew word also suggests the instinctual feeling we get when we are patient: suffering. The Latin word for patience suggests suffering as well, but also includes “disease”. Patient endurance, like any disease, has a process. The result of the latter is healing. The result of the former is eternal glory in the presence of our Jesus.
Everything in between right now and Jesus’ coming is a step. That is all. A step either closer to Jesus, or away from Him. But we are told that when we cling to His promises, hold on to our confidence in Him, and endure patiently, we will receive all He has promised. I am still learning this. In no way am I offering a step-by-step solution to anyone in a season of waiting. But I pray that in acknowledging that we aren’t doing anything wrong if we are suffering (and God isn’t any less good if we are suffering), you might find a tiny bit of hope.
Hope cannot be measured physically. But when we recall hope and cling to it, we are grounded in the soil of God’s promises. His promises never change, but our attitude sure can. I don’t know what you are waiting on. I don’t know how long you have been waiting, or how much suffering you endure while being patient. I only know my own load, and while it is heavy, it seems lighter with each passing moment as I recall God’s promises. Search out some of His promises, recall them in your darkest nights, and may they be sweeter than honey, and better than gold (Ps. 19:10) in your seasons of waiting.
We could all use a little more savlanut, and I pray it in abundance over anyone reading this. God bless you, friends.