James 1: 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Patience is one of the more difficult virtues to cultivate, since it calls for restraint, humility, faith, and most of all love. Especially is it needed when temptations come knocking on our doors, for we often are in a hurry to have difficulties removed from us, not remembering that faith in God is mostly developed in adversity, rather than in the sunny days of ease and prosperity. The "Fast food" mentality has taken hold of us, and because of the fast-paced age in which we now live, patience is becoming more and more an archaic virtue, rather than an active practice.
When we have entered into a covenant relationship with God, it takes time for spiritual development and maturity to settle in, and during the interim period we are sometimes tempted to be impatient with God, for it may seem that it takes a longer time than we expected, to overcome certain sins that are deeply entrenched in our characters. I remember when I was re-baptized, I asked my pastor if there was any way the process of salvation could be supercharged, because coming from a drag racing background, it seemed as if it took forever for some of the old habits to be uprooted, and I sometimes questioned why The Lord did not just perform a miracle and cleanse me from all unrighteousness in an instant.
But like all other Christians who have gone before, we must learn the important lesson of waiting upon God, and the daily exercise of patience causes us to manifest restraint whereas previously we might have blown a fuse. After Joseph was sold into slavery, there were traits of character which needed development in order for him to be able to exercise authority with wisdom and discretion. In order for this growth to take place, the Lord did not place him on the beach with the wind blowing in his face, nor did He place him in a position of ease and comfort. Instead he placed him in the furnace of temptation, with his master's wife tugging at his heart strings, and jail time for doing the right thing.
In this environment of adversity, the virtue of patience was amply developed to the point where there was fine balance and symmetry in Joseph's character. But what is most important to remember in the whole episode is that The Lord was with Joseph, both in the furnace of affliction and also on the throne. Let's read:
Genesis 39:20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
Psalms 105:17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: 18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: 19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him. 20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. 22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
The fires of affliction and temptation are not intended to destroy, but rather to cleanse, and through it all, The God of heaven watches and supervises the process closely, so that only the dross in our characters is melted away, so that the gold of His imparted righteousness may shine forth more radiantly. And it is because of this why patience during tribulation is necessary, since God only keeps us in the furnace until the purifying process is completed, and once this has taken place, He removes us from the fires that were required for our purification.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us not to become impatient with God in His good work of cleansing us, but rather to cooperate with Him in the process, so that the Christlike virtue of patience may be fully developed in us. Let's read:
Malachi 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!