By: Pastor Al
I heard a man talk on the radio this week. He was a cattle farmer in North Dakota. His “beef” was that the price for which he had to sell his cattle was about the same as the prices back in the ‘70’s. His profit margin was almost nil, in fact, he was losing money. At the same time, the meat processors were collecting whopping profits due to the perceived idea that meat was getting scarce, so they could inflate their prices.
Now, I don’t pretend to know enough about what is going on in the meat markets today to render an opinion on price fairness. But I mention this farmer’s complaint to illustrate the fact that a perceived injustice is hard to bear. It only aggravates the stress one is already going through due to the restrictions the government is imposing on our lives. From watching and reading the news and from our conversations with others, we are all witnessing high levels of stress in people, much of it triggered by anger. Just listen to the shouts of the protesters in Lansing. Watch the scowls on their faces and hostile gestures, even flaunting firearms within the capital building.
To be honest, I have some sympathy for the cause of the protesters, (though I find their belligerent behavior highly offensive). I also am bothered by the overreach of government power and unfair treatment of ordinary citizens. But when I feel that way, I sense something in my own soul. It is that simmering feeling of impatience.
“And His Word tells me that the most defining feature of followers of Christ is to walk in love, and that, all the time and toward all people.”
This is not a feeling becoming of a Christian. I lose that peace of mind and joy of the Lord. And then I have to remind myself of who I am; I am a disciple of Christ, the blessed Savior who loved me and gave Himself for me and endured the worst kind of injustice in order that I may experience the eternal joy of being loved of God. And His Word tells me that the most defining feature of followers of Christ is to walk in love, and that, all the time and toward all people.
The apostle John is unequivocally clear about our need to love when he wrote: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (I John. 4:7-8). That classic love chapter of I Corinthians 13 says, “Love is patient and kind…is not irritable or resentful…Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
It is noteworthy that Paul links patience to love. The patience produced by the Spirit is willing to endure injustices and the wrongs of others because there is love in it. It is not overcome by evil but tries to overcome evil with good. It seeks the best for the one who may be in the wrong. Love will move us to respect those whom God placed in authority over us and to be diligent in prayer for them. And one benefit for us will be an increase in our patience and easing of our stress, which will likely improve the results of our next health exam.
“The patience produced by the Spirit is willing to endure injustices and the wrongs of others because there is love in it.”
Furthermore, this patience-enhancing love will be at work in other ways. Most of us have had more time on our hands in recent weeks of the stay-at-home order. It has been a good opportunity to busy oneself with acts of kindness – praying for a long list of people, getting in touch with people we have not heard from in a long time, writing notes of appreciation to those who have blessed your life, doing something for someone like doing yard work or making masks, and just undertaking the routine duties of life with a loving spirit. Love always finds worthwhile things to do. It will, therefore, spare us of boredom and becoming stir crazy.
As the renowned gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson, sang with her beautiful contralto voice: If I can help somebody, as I travel along; If I can help somebody, with a word or song; If I can help somebody, from doing wrong, No, my living shall not be in vain.
Loving deeds prevent our hearts from being burdened with a sense of futility, which is a major cause of impatience. Love will make time pass more quickly, and thereby, causes patience to grow – as we wait, not only for our freedom of movement to be restored, but for the Lord Jesus to return from heaven.
So, as we have tried to describe in this series of meditations, patience is never a stagnant thing but is a most dynamic virtue comprised of faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is still love.