Learning How to Be Sound in Patience

For me, patience means that I need to chill out and calmly wait for, or endure, something longer than I desired. It’s pretty clear that plans don’t always happen the way we expect or when we want them to. In fact, many efforts, experiences, and events seem to require more and more patience these days. Maybe it’s just me, but no matter how well I purpose, plan, and prepare, things don’t often get done fast enough to suit my preferences. This is why I perked up when I read Titus 2 and saw that God wants us to be “sound in patience.” My struggle with being patient made me want to know more.

Remember how the word “sound” in the Titus 2 passage is defined in the Greek? It means, “to have sound health, that is, be well (in body); figuratively to be uncorrupt (true in doctrine).” That’s how we are to be in our patience.

In a previous post, I mentioned the topic of adding patience to our faith as found in 2 Peter 1:5-7. Now, let’s examine this same word from the Titus 2 point of view:

Patience – Greek #5281 – hupomone
From G5278; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: –
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

This definition intrigues and inspires me. Each word takes patience up a notch. It instructs us to endure with a cheerful and hopeful constancy. It’s just like God to add an enjoyable twist to a difficult task? I love that he enables cheerfulness in tough moments. Let’s look at how these words are defined in the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary:

Cheerful, adjective
1. Lively; animated; having good spirits; moderately joyful…

HOPEFUL, adjective 
1. Full of hope or desire, with expectation.

CONSTANCY, noun 
1. Fixedness; a standing firm; hence, applied to God or his works, immutability; unalterable continuance; a permanent state.

Now, how can we add these characteristics to our lives and live soundly in patience?

Being Cheerful

It’s easier to be cheerful while enduring when our hearts aren’t heavy with brokenness and burdens. We can’t endure things when we’re weak and distraught. Sometimes, we need to stop and address the condition of our heart to make sound patience possible.

Being Hopeful

“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the Lord.”
Psalm 31:24

Remember, the only hope we have in this world is our hope in God. He is the one who gives us the strength and courage to press on when things get tough.

Being Constant

“This is a faithful saying, and these things
I will that thou affirm constantly,
that they which have believed in God
might be careful to maintain good works.
These things are good and profitable unto men.”
Titus 3:8

Our endurance requires that we be constant in our good works. Others are watching how patiently we live out what we believe. We can’t quit if we want our efforts to be profitable to God and others.

Being sound in our patience doesn’t have to be drudgery. We can learn to endure cheerfully and hopefully and show the world that God helps us remain constant as He carries us through our tasks, tests, and trials.

Bring It Home
Would you say you’re sound in patience?

Praying for you as we grow together,

Smiles, BRC