In your patience possess ye your souls...

Patience, was not a word that I would use to describe my Dad. Our trip to church was a 7 mile drive down a 2 lane highway. The whole trip would take about 20 minutes. One Sunday, we were driving down the road and there were a few cars in front of us that were probably doing the speed limit. Frustrated that they weren't driving faster, Dad downshifted his manual transmission car, pulled out into the other lane and proceeded to pass 5 cars.

This particular Sunday stuck in my mind because there was a guy on a motorcycle and a few other cars coming towards us. I remember racing towards the vehicles that were coming towards us, and Dad passing the last vehicle and switching lanes in what was just about the nick of time.

When I think about it now, some 35 years later, my pulse still rushes. Would we have been late if he would have stayed behind the other cars? Probably not. It was just... patience, was not his thing.

The only way to work on patience is to be put in situations where you have to use it. Most people really get annoyed before they have the chance to learn from it...

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 2 Peter 1:5-7

It's a progression. As Peter goes through this list, each item is built upon the other. In order to master patience (patient endurance) you have to have faith, moral excellence, knowledge (of our new life granted through the death of Jesus on the cross), self-control - then PATIENCE. After that, we'll understand godliness and the ability to better love our fellow Christians and the world.

Patience... is hard work.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance [patience]. 4 And endurance [patience] develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5

Patience is hard work because it is developed through problems and trials. But that is how we know that we have a strong character and an even stronger hope in salvation!

I think Jesus explained it best in Luke 21

 14 So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, 15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! 16 Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you. 17 And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish! 19 By standing firm, you will win your souls. Luke 21:14-19

We will experience trials. But if we are patient - He will give us the right words and wisdom. Even if our family and friends betray us... even if they hate us and threaten our lives we will have a reward. The King James version puts it best...

In your patience possess ye your souls. Luke 21:19