Faith & Patience: The power twins

How are you with patience? It seems that there is always something to try our patience. Having to wait is one of those things.

  • We wait on traffic, and we wait in lines

  • We wait to hear about a new job

  • We wait to complete school or to retire

  • We wait to grow up or for maturity in a child

  • We wait for a decision to be made

  • We wait for someone to change his or her mind

Every day presents plenty of occasions for training in patience. We can resent waiting, accept it or even get good at it! But one thing is certain – we cannot avoid it.

I call FAITH & PATIENCE the Power Twins. Like human baby twins – which have very similar DNA, work closely together, but have their own unique identity – so too FAITH & PATIENCE are individual forces. But when they are both established in a person’s life these two forces have an inseparable connection and help people to walk out their destiny!

In Hebrews 10: 35 – 36 it encourages us to “Cast not away; therefore, your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.”

 

 Almost everywhere, you find faith mentioned in the Bible. You also find patience. Faith and Patience are the Power Twins.

Patience without faith has no power to call into reality the thing desired. On the other hand, faith without patience many times will fail to stand firm on the evidence of the Word that gives the deed to things not seen.

One of the most common traditions and mistakes in this area of believing is that many people are convinced that trials and tribulations develop faith. Trials and tribulations do not develop faith… faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Trials and Tribulations (the testing of that faith that has already been deposited into your heart) develop patience.

The story is told that the great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was known for his calmness and poise. His intimate friends, however, knew that he suffered moments of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him pacing the floor like a caged lion. ‘What is the trouble, Dr Brooks?’ asked his friend. ‘The trouble is,’ replied Brooks, ‘that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t.’”

Haven’t we felt the same way many times?

Mix patience with your faith to generate the power to persevere.

Be blessed!

Bradford Power