David Bahn – Reflections

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24 

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. – Galatians 5:16-18

Every hill is steeper. Every climb is longer. Such was my assessment of my first 18 months as Senior Pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. I say this not to complain or criticize. I say it to express a challenge we all face from time to time. Things we think ought to be a snap all too often become a huge challenge. Little hills we think we can easily climb become mountains. I keep telling Diane, “It’s hard being me.” Maybe you can relate.

When it comes to self-control, or the display of any of the fruit of the Spirit, we encounter that same problem. We have a handle on a peaceful heart one moment. The next, we’re blowing our stack at some idiot in front of us on the highway! Oops. Sorry. She’s not an idiot. She’s a single mom who had to drop off the kids at school. Now she’s late and will lose her job if she doesn’t get to work on time. One minute we are filled with joy. The next moment your team fails to score a single run. The World Series is over. There is no joy in Mudville. 

Why can’t we be more steadily filled with love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Why do we fall off the wagon into doubt, distress, and derision? The classical answer is that we have a three-fold enemy of all that God wants to accomplish in our hearts and lives. The devil, the world, and the flesh conspire against the grace, love, goodness, mercy, and ways of God. But the devil has been defeated, Jesus has overcome the world, and we are new creations in Christ. Why is there still a battle? 

The devil is defeated, but like the serpent he is, he continues to writhe. He is still somehow a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. The world is all around us. And the one who has overcome the world (John 14) prayed that the Father not take us out of the world. We’re in it. 

And in spite of our best efforts the sinful flesh clings. I’ve seen people try to explain away this reality, saying silly things like, “a converted person does not sin.” What!?! 1 John 1:8-10 lays that idea to rest. Others try to claim that we have no hope or even a need to resist the devil. But James tells us to resist the devil, and promises that he will flee from us (James 4:7).

The difficulty we have in keeping on the straight and narrow and consistently displaying the fruit of the Spirit, and being distressed about this is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our hearts and lives. If we did not have the Holy Spirit. We wouldn’t care. But we do care. And we are distressed when we discover we’ve forfeited the fruit of the Spirit in any situation. Thanks be to God that Jesus welcomes us back. And we can pray with David, “take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation,” whenever we sin. That, too, is the Spirit’s work. And it is not too difficult for God.

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24 

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. – Proverbs 25:28

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7

And the walls come a tumblin’ down. Those words come from the song about Joshua at the battle of Jericho. Seven times the army of Israel had circled the city. Finally they blew their trumpets. All this was at the command of God. Unlikely battle tactics. An opportunity for the enemy to ridicule Joshua and his people. Fertile ground for grumbling on the part of the people Joshua was leading. Did it seem to be an exercise in futility to many? But when the trumpets blew, the walls came down. And when the walls come down there is access to the city. Victory for Israel. Destruction and defeat for Jericho. 

I believe self-control is the wall that prevents us from giving in to anger, bullying, doubt, evil, discord, depression, and hatred. Self-control stand sentinel against the loss of the fruit of the Spirit. For while it is named last, it has the honor of being the first line of defense against Satan’s schemes.

Consider Jesus as he faces the devil in the wilderness. It’s been 40 days without food. No doubt he is extremely hungry. Satan’s ploy: entice Jesus to use his powers to turn stones into bread. There’s nothing evil about feeding yourself. There’s nothing wrong with ending a fast. But the stakes are much higher. Will Jesus listen to Satan or to God? Will he use his powers for his own sake or for the sake of others? 

Jesus does not give in. He controls himself and seeks the sustenance of God’s word by which we truly live. 

Someone provokes you to anger. You can lash out at him. Yell. Plot revenge. Curse him. Perhaps even get even by returning his provocation in double proportion. Or you can exercise self-control and pray for him, rest your heart in God’s mercy and love, and seek the peace that passes understanding. 

You are tempted to pad your expense account, add hours to your billing, say you worked when you didn’t. You can do that, but you damage your soul in the process – selling your proper birthright for a pot of porridge (cf. Genesis 25:29-34). Or you can recognize the grave danger of gaining the whole world and forfeiting your soul (Matthew 16:26). Self control helps you keep your soul, your being, your essence, your youness.

Recent study of the brain helps here. Researchers have discovered that under pressure the thinking, reflecting, and creative part of the brain receives less blood supply. The lower part of the brain – that which is reactive and self-preserving – lights up with activity. Self-control, humanly-speaking is a matter of accessing the higher-thinking parts of the brain. It’s a matter of getting beyond self-preservation. 

To some extent, therefore, self-control is a human process. So how is it a fruit of the Spirit? Self-control is a result of the Holy Spirit’s presence and influence. It is also a means by which we keep from giving in to the deeds of the flesh. It’s the result and a means. 

Those apart from Christ may have great storehouses of self-control. They may train harder, focus more intently on the task ahead, or manage their anger better than others. But apart from Christ and the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit they will not know true peace. Love will never be fully experienced. Joy will be momentary. Patience will have no God-factor. Gentleness will have nothing to do with faith. 

Those who have the Holy Spirit, have Christ, and with him the truest expression of these gifts. Self-control helps us display that reality from a heart set free by the One who has ransomed our souls from the wanton abandonment of God’s ways.

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  – Philippians 2:3-4

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. – Romans 12:3

I’ve always gotten a kick out of Numbers 12:3: Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth. It’s in the Bible, so I’m certain it’s true. But did Moses write this of himself?!? Doesn’t seem very humble to me. But I digress. Humility is a virtue so very closely related to gentleness. And it is essential to Christian growth and relationships. Without humility we can neither be impacted by others nor have an edifying impact on others. 

Bruce asked me, “What do you think Diane is feeling right now?” [Some of you may know this story, but it’s such a powerful example that I repeat it here.]

“I feel like a kid caught daydreaming in class.”

“That’s OK,” he said. And he continued the conversation with Diane, picking up where they had left off. We were in the counselor’s office investing in our marriage through some deep dive counseling. In a matter of a few sentences, he asked again, “Dave, what do you think Diane is feeling right now?”

I was ready! “She is feeling like…” I filled in the blanks, though I have no memory of what I said at that moment.

“OK,” he responded; or something similar to that non-comital phrase. He continued talking with Diane for a while longer. Then he turned to me a third time, “Dave, what do you think Diane is feeling right now?”

I was stunned, and said, “I don’t know.”

In that moment of humility, Diane tells me her walls came down. I had access to her heart like never before.

Humility does that. It opens a way into another’s heart. No wonder Jesus has such an impact in people’s lives!

Humility’s outward expression is gentleness. No blustering. No bravado. No right answers. No formulaic propositions. Gentleness trusts God, the Holy Spirit, and truth. Gentleness trusts that God will have his way in the hearts of the humble. Humility does not suppose that it has all the answers. Humility searches for common ground at the foot of the cross. It is so very important.

If I really want to speak into your life, I will do well to do so gently. This is true for husband and wife, for friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and even Jesus-followers who want to make a heart impact for the gospel in the lives of others.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. – Galatians 6:1

Gentleness and humility accompany those who recognize their deep brokenness, need for mercy, and potential for falling prey to the devil’s charms. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. And a great encouragement to me is that the older I get, the more aware I become of my own brokenness, need for mercy, and potential for falling prey to Satan’s pull – or the pull of my own sinful flesh. Maybe you can identify with that. If all that makes us more gentle, more aware of our need for the mercy of God, the forgiveness of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, that’s a good thing. It’s also evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. Thanks be to God! 

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24 

Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. – James 1:20

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil. – Ephesians 4:26-27

“You’re an angry young man,” she said matter-of-factly. I really didn’t know what she meant. I didn’t think I was angry. Years later I began to understand just what this CPE supervisor meant. Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is an in-the-hospital (or other clinical setting) educational program for those who wish to gain skills in pastoral care. It also happens to offer the participants an opportunity to learn about themselves. I think I was too angry to learn much about myself at that time. You might not have thought it of me. But well-hidden anger turned many of the wheels of my life in those years. 

I’m sure I left quite an impression on my fellow CPE participants. But the most long-lasting impact I had was in the quiet moments, praying with patients, listening to their stories, gently handling their hearts. In other words, when the Holy Spirit was most actively influencing my interactions, good things were happening. 

I’ve tried being big, strong, gritty, and insistent. I can get my way in some situations. But my way – in that mode – is seldom God’s way. And as I think of God’s desires, I seldom see a reason to employ things other than a gentle spirit. This is especially true in one-on-one encounters. Truth is a strong ally of gentleness. And truth sets us free. Truth with its partner grace saves. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit.

All that said, there are times when gentleness is not called for. Jesus gave us one when he overturned the moneychanger’s tables in the temple courts. Paul gets pretty close when he talks about the circumcision party, suggesting a slip of the knife toward them would be welcome (Galatians 5:12). It’s interesting that this verse is in the same chapter as these verses on the fruit of the Spirit! When it comes time to stand firm, to protect the weak and vulnerable, to prevent harm to another we may need to assert ourselves. It may not be gentle in that moment. 

But those are the exception and must not set the rule. For anger gives the devil a foothold. Held to and nurtured it not only gives ulcers, it allows our more base instincts freer reign. Thankfully that angry young man has grown up a bit, and he sees now that a gentle spirit is not only God’s gift, but a powerful tool of blessing to others.

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24 

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of  God with lofty speech or wisdom. ² For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, ⁴ and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

He spoke with understated urgency. And he started by having us write a Bible verse on a 3X5 index card: “You are precious and honored in my sight and I love you” (Isaiah 43:4). He spoke for nearly 40 minutes. Never really raised his voice. Was not impressive in his delivery. But he was profoundly powerful in expressing the truth of God’s love us us. I don’t have the index card any longer. But I still remember the message – some 25 years later. 

Maybe you don’t do like I do. Get angry. Get big. Get gruff and loud. Sadly I reserve that for the people closest to me. And it never does anything more than achieve resentful compliance. Often it only hurts the one on whom I vent. 

I once delivered a blistering sermon titled, “Why Business as Usual is No Longer an Option in the Church.” I utilized some disturbing statistics about the trends of church attendance, membership, and youth involvement from a paper by that name. I hit hard in my message. People came out of the service that Sunday saying, “You really stepped on our toes today.” I took it as a complement. Three weeks later, however, everyone’s toes were recovered. It was back to business as usual. 

But I remember so vividly the message of that pastor who spoke of God’s love. I recall clearly the day more than 40 years ago that the pastor preached on John 6:37 where Jesus says, “Everyone whom my Father has given me shall come to me, and whoever will come to me I shall not cast out.” A young mom came out of the service and told the pastor how much she appreciated that, how much she needed to hear that. And I recall the message of my seminary professor, “Every Christian Counts” which was oil on the water at a time of conflict at our school. It was a message of gentle kindness that we dearly needed.

Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. Sometimes a stern warning may be needed. If a child is running into the street, yelling may well be appropriate. But to do the work of the Holy Spirit we must not interpose our anger and brash bluster upon others. God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice. And when it comes to touching our hearts with his love, the message may be quiet and gentle. But the impact will be profoundly good. 

Gentle now, dear reader. Gentle. Let the Holy Spirit have his way with you, and through you with others. 

For your personal reflection and edification on this Lord’s Day. All verses are from the English Standard Version Bible.

Psalm 7:17
I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.

Psalm 37:3-6
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

Psalm 67
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Psalm 97:1-5
The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
and burns up his adversaries all around.
His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.

Psalm 127:1-2
Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24 

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:13-17

She has the whole package. Too often that means something demeaning, depersonalizing. Looks and brains. Like the two don’t really belong together. You can have one, but not the other. He has the whole package. When you hear that, most often it refers to an athlete. He can run, hit, jump, throw, catch, kick, defend, and lead the team well. In either case such a comment is not really a complement to those who want to be more than a package. 

But when it comes to our need for the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in our lives and influencing our hearts, we need the whole package of God’s armor. For there is a foe who wants to sow seeds of hatred, misery, discord, agitation, and harsh bitterness. And he seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. He wants to take us down. To remove the joy, undercut the peace, destroy the love, incite rebellion, and bring death. 

That’s one reason holding onto the fruit of the Spirit is so challenging. Not only do we lose sight of it on our own, but the world challenges this place of pure and joyous faith, and the devil is firing his darts at us left and right. We need God’s armor to keep the gift the Holy Spirit gives. 

We must lean on the truth about our sin and God’s grace, to rejoice in the gift of Christ’s righteousness through faith, to walk every step in the peace of Christ’s favor. Keeping our head in all things, remembering that there is nothing more important and consequential than the gift of salvation, and holding the shield of faith, we are ready to defend ourselves. In addition, we also take up the offensive weapon: the word of God. By that word, we slay the dragon and defeat his temptation and deceit. 

To tie the fruit of the Spirit with the armor of God may not seem appropriate. Somehow the idea of a battle is antithetical to the notion of the Holy Spirit’s presence and influence. Except for the fact that we are in a war. We have an enemy. And although we can make peace with a brother or sister in Christ whom we have offended, or who has offended us, we can never make peace with the devil. We must always be on guard. Thank God for his armor. Seek to display the fruit of the Spirit in all we do and say. We’ll certainly need God’s help to do that. The Holy Spirit stands ready. The armor will not fail us. 

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24 

The wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. ¹⁸ And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. – James 3:17-18

I’ll call her Sally. She was a kind woman. She was a gracious counterbalance to her cut-to-the-chase husband. His manner could sometimes seem harsh. He had an edge. Sally had a soft demeanor. She was thoughtful and sweet. She provided meals when our youngest son was born. She even came over one time and somehow got into our house and cleaned it from one end to the other. Sally epitomized kindness. 

This was entirely a matter of the Holy Spirit’s work in her. Even though she had a wit, saying one time, “I was raised in the Christian Church before we got married. I tell everyone that I used to be Christian before I married Paul then I became a Lutheran!” Kind and witty – what a great combination. 

Some might think that by this list of the fruit of the Spirit you would meet a Casper Milquetoast kind of person with little personality. A kindly person, easily dismissed. Think, though, of who is writing this! Paul was a strongly self-defined man of God. He gave his life to sharing the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Few would call him Milquetoast. And he identifies the fruit of the Spirit in this way: love, joy peace, patience, kindness… and so on. 

I’m thinking Sally might have had her moments of unkindness. I’m not sure I’d think of Paul as a gentle person. But he certainly was led by and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

This brings me to the thought that we must all live under grace not law – especially when it comes to the influence and evidence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We don’t often go even through our waking hours with only kindness, patience (don’t forget that commute!), or gentleness in every personal encounter. We’ll never get this all correct and proper day in and day out. Hopefully, on the balance, we will, however, display the evidence and influence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. Hopefully we’ll be more like Sally than the harsh and bitter, impatient, and disturbing folks who might cross our paths on any given day. Sadly there are many. 

We’ll never get this perfect, but that is not to excuse an unkind and harsh approach to others. Whenever we fail to see the fruit of the Spirit in our actions or recognize their absence in our hearts we must repent. And thank God for the Holy Spirit who brings us back to Jesus again and again. And to the cross. And to an empty grave. Then to a mountain from which he ascended. And then from heaven’s high throne he sent the Holy Spirit, the counselor, the comforter, the helper who will be with us forever (John 14:16).

Maybe we can be a Sally to someone who needs a touch of God’s love today. That would be great evidence of the presence and influence of the Spirit’s presence in our lives. 

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24 

And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹ And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. ¹² Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. ¹³ The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, ¹⁴ and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.” – Daniel 10:10-14

Hey God! You say that a thousand years is like a day, and a day is like a thousand years.

Yes. That’s true.

Well I was thinking that maybe that means 1000 dollars is like a penny to you. 

You could say that.

So…could I have a million dollars?

Sure…just wait a minute.

So goes the joke. God’s timing isn’t subject to ours. We are subject to his. And he has chosen to work within the boundaries of time and space by entering into the human story through Jesus. Jesus is God in the flesh. God in time. That’s because God has placed us into the realm of time and space and has not removed himself from us. He has not, therefore, removed his work entirely from the passage of time.

That becomes even more clear when we read of the encounter between Daniel and this mighty messenger of God. Daniel hears distressing news. His first response is to pray. And apparently his prayers were earnest and not fleeting. When the angel shows up 21 days after Daniel prays, he brings a message that is startling. God heard the prayer on the first day he prayed it. But this angel was prevented from coming to Daniel by the “prince of the kingdom of Persia.” There were spiritual battles and powers at play here.

Not everything that happens happens in a straight line from God’s will to the resulting action. There are are many facets to the workings of God among women and men. And one action is never completely removed from 20 others. There is also the spiritual realm to deal with, and God is not interested in fighting for the good of his people only in this life, but in the spiritual realm as well. The working out of his will is always good. But it is not often quick. And – as I love to say – we over-estimate what we can accomplish in the short term and under-estimate what God can do in the long term.

This has everything to do with the fruit of the Spirit: patience. It is only by the Holy Spirit’s power and presence that we would give any attention or place to the workings of the unseen world. The world of powers, principalities, demons, and angels is not the invention of Hollywood or fiction writers. It is the real stuff of the full dimension of God’s creation. The seen and unseen are very real. And God is at work in both. 

Patience is the ability to keep in mind the myriad of connections with others and within the spiritual realm while we struggle against the currents and obstacles of life in a fallen world. The movie Bruce Almighty is a cute but irreverent movie about God giving Bruce all the powers and prerogatives that God has (but not the wisdom). In frustration at one point of the movie Bruce decides to answer all prayers, “Yes.” Chaos ensues. God’s wisdom shapes his prayer answers, his moving through life and death, and his providential care for us all. 

Patience is born of the awareness of our limited understanding of all things, and faith in God’s goodness, power, and grace for us and our neighbor. We see this most perfectly in Jesus. Not only is he the Prince of Peace, but he is the giver of patience.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24 

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

Fact # 1: There is a God.

Fact # 2: You’re not God.

Rule # 1 in light of these facts: When in doubt, refer to Fact # 1. Or…When impatient, refer to Facts # 1 & #2.

God is the key to true patience. He models it for us. And he requires it of all of us…unless we have molded for ourselves a false patience. I would call that passivity, denial, or surrender. For patience is not a matter of giving up hope. It’s not a matter of waiting someone out. It’s not a matter of grinding your teeth. Patience is a matter of waiting for God to give the best. It’s a matter of trusting in his goodness. It’s a matter of looking forward with anticipation and humility to what God has in store for you. It is a matter of applied faith. Severely, singularly, wholeheartedly applied faith. 

That faith rests on the goodness of God, his righteousness, justice, love, and majestic power. We don’t entrust ourselves to some impotent well-meaning guru who tells us, in effect, “Don’t worry. Be happy.” We don’t entrust our future to a powerful sovereign who does not care what collateral damage might come to us in the outworking of his will and plans. We don’t entrust our lives to someone who is mostly good, greatly powerful, but not reliable nor committed to the cause of true righteousness. Patience is a matter of entrusting ourselves to the God who created us, redeemed us, and called us to an eternal blessing of life and joy. 

And there’s the rub. We lose sight of this God. Our faith falters. We don’t keep our eyes on the prize of the upward call of Jesus Christ to glories eternal. Sometimes we just forget. Sometimes the momentary frustrations of life cloud our view of God’s goodness and promises. Sometimes we just don’t care: we see what we want and ignore God in the process of grasping it. We settle for too little. We look away. 

There is good news for those who will admit this and repent of such lack of applied faith. God is patient. He is the epitome of patience. Peter reminds us of this as he encourages us to be patient. And his patience is not merely a good vibe of perfect peacefulness toward the world. But Peter tells us that he is “patient toward you.” And his patience toward us is purposeful. He does not wish “that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Repentance is the place of perfect peace, joy, and patience. For in repentance is a humility that does not presume to tell God what to do. It is a place of trust that looks to God for good things, as he defines them. It is a place of waiting for God to bring us ultimately to our eternal blessing. God delights in receiving those who come to him in repentance and faith. The Holy Spirit makes that possible, and brings us ever closer to that place of peace and love for which we all must patiently wait.