SHOWCASING YOUR CHRISTIAN FAITH- PART II
A young father in a supermarket was
pushing a shopping cart with his little son, who was strapped in the front. The
little boy was fussing, irritable, and crying. The other shoppers gave the pair
a wide berth because the child would pull cans off the shelf and throw them out
of the cart. The father seemed to be very calm; as he continued down each
aisle, he murmured gently: "Easy now, Donald. Keep calm, Donald. Steady,
boy. It's all right, Donald."
A mother passing by was greatly
impressed by this young father's caring attitude. She said, "You certainly
know how to talk to an upset child—quietly and gently." And then, bending
down to the little boy, she said, "What seems to be the trouble, Donald?"
"Oh
no," said the father. "He's Henry. I'm Donald."
It was a father's struggle for
Patience, but he was working on it. How many identify with this father? We all
lose Patience on certain occasions, especially with children. It could be
detrimental when we don't exercise restraint and calmness during those moments.
Last week, we learned that Christian
life consists of rightly relating with God, ourselves, and one another in the
Church and the World. The Apostle Paul addressed certain prejudices of Jewish
believers against the Gentile believers in the Ephesian Church. He urged the
Ephesian believers not to be passive recipients of God's blessings but to
actively live a life worthy of the calling they have received. In other words,
to Showcase their Christian Faith.
The verb showcasing means to
exhibit or display. It is to show the best qualities or parts of something. As
Christians, what are we called to showcase to the world? We are called to show
the world the beautiful virtues of Christ, not just by words but through a
lifestyle. In Ephesians 4:1-6, Paul listed five Christian virtues we are to
exhibit to the world: Humility, Gentleness, Patience, Bearing with one another
in Love, and Keeping the Unity of the Spirit. We saw Humility and Gentleness
last week. Let's work on the remaining three virtues.
Vs.1-3, "I therefore, a
prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to
which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another (showing forbearance) (continuous or repeated
action) in love."
Forbearance:
a delay of punishment, tolerability, long-suffering, forgiveness, etc.
1.
You showcase your Christian faith through Patience.
In this passage, two pairs of
Christian virtues are mentioned. Humility and Gentleness. Patience and bearing
with one another or forbearance as they go together hand in hand.
We
have heard this cliché: Patience is the mother of all virtues. Why is it
regarded so highly? Perhaps
because of what Patience involves. Patience (or forbearance) is the ability
to endure difficult circumstances. It may involve perseverance in the face of
delay. Tolerance of provocation without responding with disrespect or anger. Forbearance
when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. It
involves waiting for a long time without getting irritated or bored. In the
scriptures, Patience is placed next to Love. It is the fruit of the Holy
Spirit; hence, it is highly regarded and required for all God's children to walk
in Patience.
Patience is one of the attributes of
God. Passing before Moses after the Golden Calf incident, God proclaimed his
name, saying, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to
anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." Ex 34:6. The
Psalmist declared, "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow
to anger and abounding in steadfast Love and faithfulness." Psalms 86:15
The apostle Paul describes God as
kind, forbearing, and patient (Romans 2:4). The apostle Peter also referred to
God's Patience regarding the second coming of Jesus: "The Lord is not slow
in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient
with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance"
(2 Peter 3:9).
These are just a few instances of
God being described as patient. When Scripture describes God as patient, it
means He endures humanity's flaws, does not quickly get angry, and holds back
judgment to make room for repentance. Let's not take His Patience for granted.
Let's repent of our sins and turn to God, begging his mercy so we may receive
his forgiveness.
Paul, writing to Romans, explains
how Christians can showcase Patience. "Rejoice in hope,
be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12. It is
challenging to remain hopeful and patient during trials and tribulations. We
will reap God's blessings when we remain patient. "Count it all joy, my
brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing
of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full
effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James
1:2-4
Think of all the times we have
sinned against God and grieved the Holy Spirit, yet God has not consumed us
because He is patient. As God has been patient with us, we don't want to be
quick to judge or punish others; instead, let us exercise restraint and
forbearance.
Here are a few examples of Biblical
characters that were impatient. Abraham & Sarah were impatient about their
promised child. As a result, we are having to deal with the sons of
Ishmael(Muslims) today. Genesis 15-16. Israelites were so impatient when Moses
did not appear for 40 days that they pressured Aron to make a Golden Calf.
Genesis 32
What happened afterward was
devastating; that set the whole motion for idolatry by breaking the first two
commandments. As a result, all those who left Egypt initially could not enter
the promised land. Idolatry still could disqualify us from entering into
Heaven.
If only King Saul patiently waited
for prophet Samuel to arrive and offer the sacrifice, things would have been
different. Instead, he was impatient. He took things into his own hands and
began to offer the sacrifice. As a result, God rejected him as the King of
Israel. I Samuel: 13.
Our impatience can hurt us and, at
times, hurt others, as in the case of Amnon and Tamar in II Samuel 13. These
stories were recorded to teach us not to be impatient. Think about how often
you have been impatient and had to clean up the mess. If you are impatient, ask
God to forgive you and produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which contains
Patience. Another way we can grow in Patience is by bearing with one another in
Love.
II.
You showcase your Christian faith by bearing with one another in Love.
Paul reminds the Ephesian believers
that they were called to walk in humility and gentleness combined with Patience.
Then, he gives them a practical opportunity to see how those three virtues
could work out, bearing with one another or showing forbearance to one
another (NASB) in Love. Other words for forbearance are Patience,
endurance, and long-suffering.
What is forbearance? It is
Refraining from enforcing something (such as a debt, right, or obligation) that
is due. In
the Bible, forbearance usually refers to a godly character trait. To forbear is
to abstain or hold back; forbearance is akin to Patience and self-control.
Col 3:12–13: "Put on then, as God's chosen ones,
holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility,
meekness, and Patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one
has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord
has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." ESV. In NLT, it reads, "Make
allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you."
Are we making room for each other's faults or judging them quickly?
God refrains from bringing what is
due to us each time because he loves us. Jeremiah said, "You are
long-suffering—do not take me away; Jer 15:15. We are warned not to
"show
contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance, and Patience, not
realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? Romans
2:4. As God shows forbearance towards us sinners, we too are called to show
forbearance to one another in Love.
