Patience- Part I

So here is the deal...Recently I have felt that I just can't catch a break. I had two different things in my life that feel flat in a single 24 hour period a couple of weeks ago. To be honest, it was hard, and I was not a happy camper.

After a period of mourning...you can give me a hard time about it, but that is what I felt...I knew it was time to move on. I was still frustrated, wondering when my dreams would ever come true. I had been so close, but yet so far away. A wise friend suggested I do a word study on patience. Yeah, that's what I wanted to do, study patience. Thankfully I was in the middle of reading through the book of Galatians. However, I knew when I finished I would take my friend's advice. At the end of last week I pulled up Bible Gateway and began.

This morning I ran across the following passage:

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Colossians 1:9-12 (NASB)

Then I flipped to another translation:

For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make [special] request for you, [asking] that you may be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things- That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition]. [We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God's holy people) in the Light.

Colossians 1:9-12 (Amp.)

Verse 12 says, "[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God's holy people) in the Light."

Invigorated, strengthened, powerful, endurance, patience, joy, thankfulness...whoa! That is a tall order. Can't I have the invigoration, strength, power, and endurance without the patience, joy, and thankfulness?

In the Amplified version there are those two words that follow the word patience...perseverance and forbearance. Dictionary.com defines patience as "steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement" or as a theological term meaning "continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation." If I am to be honest, I have not done a good job of persevering. I have allowed the difficulties, obstacles, and discouragement to change my course...at least make me think about changing.

Forbearance is "refraining from something, forbearing conduct or quality; patient endurance; self-control, an abstaining from the enforcement of a right." This one hurts. I think I will take a break and tackle my thoughts on forbearance at another time.

To be continued...Keep scrolling down as this is my second post for today!