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Great Endurance and Patience

January 20, 2022
By Mr. Park

Great Endurance and Patience

This past Christmas I received a devotion book from a series focusing on the Fruit of the Spirit by author Robert Strand.  At that time, the book was looking at the fruit of Peace as in December that was where we found ourselves focusing as a school.  It was a fantastic read!  So of course I had to see if I could get the rest of the series for each individual Fruit of the Spirit.
 
As I mentioned in my last blog, this month we find ourselves focusing on patience.  It still makes me chuckle a little.  We have had to learn to be patient in so many areas of our lives lately.  Patient for school to start.  Patient with the ever-changing health and safety protocols.  Even this past week we had to learn to be patient as we waited for the snow plow to finally get around to clearing our streets.  We have also been challenged to be patient with others who may not see things the same we do when it comes to all things COVID, government mandates, vaccinations, etc.  We find ourselves in a season of really having to grow and learn how to be patient with one another.  To not hastily respond when we are frustrated with someone.  To figure out how to stay connected when there is so much that keeps us apart or divides us.
 
Back to my little devotional book on patience.  I love the small, yet huge lesson we are provided from scripture.  Paul writes in Colossians 1:10 -11, about “long-suffering”, or put another way, endurance in all situations :
 
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: BEARING FRUIT in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that YOU may have GREAT ENDURANCE and PATIENCE. (Colossians 1:10-11, emphasis mine)
 
Strand also quotes another great explanation of this passage from Phillips Brooks; 
 
“Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men.  Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks.  Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle.  Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.”
 
During these, and I realize this is a very overused term, “unprecedented times”, what is it that we are praying for?  What area of your life, or relationship in your life could you use more patience?  Where do you need a little more endurance to deal with what seems like the long-suffering?  
 
This has not been an easy season.  I wish I could say when it will be over.  I do know that the things that we have no control over can be used to help us grow.  To bear fruit, lean on God even more and pray for great endurance and patience as I move forward.  That is my prayer for myself and for you.  God bless.

 
Strand, Robert. (June 1999). Patience : Nine Fruits of the Spirit. New Leaf Press.