Have you ever had to hold or support something really heavy while it was being installed? Many years ago we were putting up drywall sheets onto the ceiling of a room, and because we didn’t have a special hoist to hold the sheets in place on the ceiling I had to support them myself with my arms, which as you might guess wasn’t the easiest thing to do. Drywall sheets are heavy, but in order to get them screwed into the ceiling I had to endure a little bit of pain and discomfort until they were up. It took patience, which means “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” Which brings us to a verse in Romans 12.
Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.”
The word “tribulation” means “any adversity; a trying period or event,” as well as “distress, trouble, or affliction.” The Bible teaches us that if people wrong us or sin against us, we must patiently endure that suffering. We must be as Christ, Who didn’t “strike back” or seek to get revenge for Himself, but He instead allowed Himself to suffer through it.
1 Peter 2:19-23, “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”
The normal inclination for a person without Christ is to avenge themselves when they are persecuted or injured. But that is not how a Christian should act. We are taught from the scriptures to not avenge ourselves, as it is written in Romans 12.
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Romans 12:19
Jesus was persecuted, mocked, and disrespected. But did Jesus go out and return the same back to those who caused Him to suffer? No, He didn’t, but He instead suffered patiently through the tribulations.
It is the duty of a dad in a home to correct and punish whenever one of his children are disobedient, and God the Father will also punish those who cause Christians to suffer through tribulations. The Thessalonian church it sounds like had gone through persecution and tribulation themselves, and the apostle Paul praised them for their patient endurance.
2 Thessalonians 1:4-6 “So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;”
Patience is a very important quality that everyone should possess, even during times when it may be unpleasant or difficult we must continue to show love in our patience towards others.
Look at the patience that God shows the entire world each and every day. For thousands of years He has been patient and waiting for people to repent of their sins. Day after day there are billions of sins that are committed, but God doesn’t use His power to condemn everyone to eternal damnation right then and there. Day after day He suffers through all that disobedience, and continues to offer forgiveness and mercy to anyone who will come forward for it.
That is what we should aspire to do, we must be patient with others as well. We need to endure through that pain when someone hurts or does something wrong towards us, and always remember that as God is patient and merciful with us, and withholds His wrath and punishment, we need to do the same to others.
“In your patience possess ye your souls.” Luke 21:19
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 