Colossians 3:9-13 NASB
Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, [10] and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— [11] a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. [12] So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; [13] bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Ephesians 4:1,1-2 NIV
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. [2] Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Colossians 1:11 NASB
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience with joy
1 Timothy 1:13,16 NASB
even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; [16] Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
I want you to look at all those verses I listed above because they will connect some important dots, as we discuss the issue of attaining more patience in our daily lives. Let me give you a biblical working definition of the word “patience.” It comes from 2 words; “macro” (as opposed to micro) – which means, large, or long-distance, and “thymos” – which means passion. The King James version translates the word patience as “long-suffering.” It carries the idea that you have such passion for person that you will sacrifice long on their behalf, and because you have passion for them, you sacrifice with joy. Since my early days as a young Christian I’ve heard the Christian quip that you should never ask God for more patience, because if you do, He will send all kind of issues in your life to teach you about patience. It is true, that God will use situations to teach us about patience; but is not true that God will give you more patience, because He can’t give you more of something you already have all of, and because you are in Christ, and therefore in union with his very life, you have all the perfect patience that Jesus has, as a part of who you are. One of my daughters in law recommended last night that I watch the new version of “The Lion King,” because it taught some cool stuff about union with Christ. Towards the end of the movie, Simba was being communicated with by his father Mufasa from the heavens, because Simba had forgotten what his true identity was, and Mufasa told Simba several times to remember who he was. Simba was being faced with a great challenge, and was not sure he could deal with it, and his father from the heavens kept saying to him, “Remember Who You Are.” The greatest problem that Christians ever have, whatever issue they might be dealing with, is that they forget who they are in Christ. We find ourselves often begging God to give us things that are already ours. Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who HAS BLESSED US with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly’s in Christ.” Patience is obviously a spiritual blessing, and that verse says that you have already been blessed with it. Look back at those 1st verses I listed from Colossians 3. It says that we have put off the old self, and we have put on the new self, and at the heart of that new self, no matter where you come from in your life history, “Christ is all, and is in all,” and it is from that foundation that the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul tells us in verse 12, “And So (in light of what he has just said about Christ being all and in all for the new self) as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on (literally “sink into”)… patience; bearing with one another…”
Do you see it? Because Christ is all and in all, the very patience of Jesus is part of our spiritual DNA. Patience is not something God gives us; instead, patience is someone who lives in us, and through us. It is part of the life that Jesus lives, and that is why he says in Colossians 1:11 that we are to walk with “steadfastness (literally, “endurance”) and PATIENCE WITH JOY.” The word “attaining” in verse 11 is a terrible translation, because the word there is actually “into,” and therefore the literal, accurate translation of that verse should be this “continually strengthened with all supernatural power, according to the glory of His might, into all endurance and patience with joy.”
Godly patience is not simply hanging in there while gritting your teeth, but the patience of Christ is full of enduring joy, as you deal with situations and people. When you find yourself being tempted to be impatient with something, or with someone; “remember who you are,” and in absolute surrender to Christ being your life, by faith, thank Him for His patience in you, and then watch Him manifest through you in glory.