As I've been thinking about different names of Christ, and different Christlike attributes, that I want to study this year, the one word the keeps coming to mind is patience. I probably keep thinking about it because it's a Christlike attribute that I would really like to improve in myself. Patience is hard. I'm the type of person that wants things done and I want them done NOW. I have a hard time setting long-term goals because I want to see the results right away. When a trial comes my way I just want to get through is as quickly as possible, with the least amount of pain or struggle as possible, and sometimes focus so hard on getting through it that I don't take time to consider what it is the Lord is trying to teach me.
Today my mind has been thinking a lot about my Savior Jesus Christ. Usually the word patience doesn't come to mind when I think of Christ. So I asked myself, "Did Jesus practice patience? If so, how did He practice patience?" I just went back to the dictionary and the word patience is defined as: the quality of being patient, as bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
Did people try to provoke Christ? YES. During His earthly life I'm sure getting provoked by others was nearly a daily occurrence, especially once He started his ministry.
Did people annoy Christ? YES. I am sure He experienced so many things that annoyed Him. Not just with those who didn't want to hear what He had to say, but even I'm sure His own disciples were annoying at times.
Did Christ experience misfortune? YES. He was born in a stable. He was ridiculed and surrounded by people that hated Him and wanted Him dead. He was beaten and crucified.
Did He suffer pain? YES. He suffered more pain than I can ever imagine. I burnt a small part of my hand this morning when I was curling my hair and it hurt. The burn has been stinging all day. Christ suffered such pain that blood seeped out of every pore of His body. My brain doesn't even know how to comprehend that amount of pain.
Did He do it without complaint? YES. He loved those that provoked Him and annoyed Him. To those that were willing, He sat down with them, met them where they were, and ministered to them and loved them. He didn't pray and say, "Heavenly Father these people are too mean and too annoying and I just don't think I can deal with them anymore." Instead He said, "Come unto me and I will give you rest. I will help you carry your burdens and make your life more peaceful." And He continues to invite and to include everyone that will listen to Him.
Did He do it without losing His temper? YES. There were so many times when it would have been so easy to lose His temper, but instead, He pressed forward with love and with patience. During His trial and His crucifixion it could have been so easy to lose His temper and to scream and yell and get angry at those that were hurting Him. But instead, He bore it all with patience and in the end He even prayed that God would forgive those that were killing Him.
Did He get irritated with people? NO. I'll be the first to admit that I get irritated with people. Don't get me wrong. I love people! But sometimes I just get irritated. Someone doesn't do what they told me they would do. Someone isn't really listening to me when I'm talking to them. There are so many things. I grew up with five brothers, I know how it feels to be irritated. But Jesus looked past the small and petty things and saw the worth of each soul. He knew the desires of their hearts and the hurts and pains that they carried. He loved them too much to get irritated with them.
So what does all of this mean for me? How does it teach me to have more patience in my life? It means that Christ knew that Heavenly Father had a plan for His life and He trusted that plan, even when it was really hard to do so. He knew that after the struggle would come so much joy. He knew the only way to help each one of us, including me, was so suffer what He had to suffer through.
I know that God has a plan for my life too. And I know the finish line will be glorious, better than any of the best days I've ever lived here on earth. It's all of this in between stuff that takes patience. I wish I could skip the in between and find eternal joy and happiness without having to go through any of the struggle, without having disappointments, heartache and failures.
Jesus taught us that it's the in between that matters most. What He endured from the time He was born, until the day that He died, is what prepared Him and made it possible for Him to rise from the dead on that third day and make it possible for me, and for you, to live again with our Father in Heaven, with our Savior Jesus Christ, and with the people in our lives that we love so much. He patiently endured that "in between" and I know that I can too.
This morning during my own personal scripture study I came across this verse in James 5:11, "Behold, we count them happy which endure." I want to be counted as one of the happy ones. That happiness comes from Jesus Christ. From learning from His example the worth of every soul I meet. And along the way learning the worth of my own soul. He knows my heart, He loves my spirit and He is so incredibly patient with me. Count me happy.
*painting by Greg Olsen
Love this...you say things so well...
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