John C. Kwasny May 1, 2020
10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:10-12)
Anyone who knows me well understands how much I love etymology, the study of the origins of words. It just fascinates me to learn how our words, terms, and colloquial phrases originate, as well as how far from original meanings we have strayed. Then, there’s also the variety of ways we can use the same word to communicate things that are very different. A term that is on my mind lately is PATIENT. I wonder why? Just think about it with me for a moment. While, as Christians, we are repeatedly commanded to be patient, none of us ever wants to be a patient—especially in our current pandemic. A patient (noun) is literally “one who suffers,” and to be patient (adjective) is “to suffer long.” So, when you are a patient in a hospital or even at home, you are suffering with a disease or illness that needs care and cure. You are a sufferer. But, when you are striving to be patient with another person or within the context of a hard situation, you are also a type of sufferer—you are having to suffer long. In a sense, we all have been treated as patients over the last couple of months, haven’t we? Of course, some among us throughout the world are actual patients in hospitals and medical care facilities, suffering from the ravages of Covid-19 (as well as many other unrelated diseases and conditions). The rest of us are still being somewhat quarantined, limited in our activity, and even having to live with the possibility that we may be asymptomatic carriers of the virus. So, we are all patients, even if we are not all sick. Or, to use the original word meaning: We are all sufferers during this current crisis. And, again, no one ever wants to be a patient, not even for a short time. To be a patient always tests our patience. To suffer always forces us to deal with the challenge of learning how to be long-suffering.
In Romans 12, Paul presents us with a laundry list of very brief, precise, and difficult commands: Love one another. Show honor to one another. Do not be lazy. Be fervent. Serve God. We need the work of the Spirit to do any of these well. But, then, he pens three more imperatives that we so desperately need to hear right now: Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer. Read those again. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer. Are you rejoicing in hope that we will get through this pandemic, unless the Lord Jesus returns? Are you patient (suffering long) in this time of tribulation? Are you constant in prayer, for not only the end of our suffering, but for the specific needs in your life and those around you?
As the old, well-worn joke goes: no one ever really prays for patience. But as patients, God always grants new opportunities for you to be patient. Patient with your spouse, your children, your parents. Patient within your current circumstances. Patient with our leaders. Patient with those around you who may be fearful or insensitive to you. As co-sufferers in this world together, let’s pray and seek to be able to suffer long in Jesus Christ, our Suffering Servant.