The words ‘passion’ and ‘patience’ are both derived from the word PATI… meaning to suffer.

The bible translates the word patience into long-suffering. In the infamous passage in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 about love, some translations say ‘love is patient’… while others say ‘love suffers long’.

If I view and relate to this passage as a checklist for the character of God and the mystery of love, I realize a glaring but difficult truth: there is a reason patience is the first in the list.

Patience is important.

I’m discovering this truth in my thought life, my work life, and relational life.

I’m typically the kind of guy who sees what I want, and goes after it. I don’t hesitate. I get passionate. I pursue. I want it. Right now.

That doesn’t always pan out… and when rejection happens, it’s easy to dismiss something, be humbled, and move on to the next thing… or sometimes, just to simply give up.

It happens in jobs. It happens in marriages and relationships. It just… happens.

But I realized something. Am I really passionate about something if I’m not willing to suffer through the difficulties of uncertainty?

A few years ago, I learned a lot about love. It started with me learning to love myself.

I decided to make some changes in my physical health. I changed what I ate. I changed how often I ate. I changed my lifestyle and my physical activity.

Was it easy? No. Not at all. But the driving force inside of me was a newfound love and honor for myself… and to me, it was worth it.

I ended up losing over 100 lbs of excess weight in a little over a year. I saw the fruit of loving myself. This love transformed me. That’s what love does.

We find out what love does when we discover what and who are worth suffering for.

Jesus loved us this way. To Him, we were worth it. This is the reason the death on the cross and resurrection of Jesus is referred to as ‘The Passion of the Christ’.

What if our purpose was on the other side of suffering? What would it look like? What would we have to submit to? What would we have to surrender?

Here are a few questions that helped me hear the voice of God in Scripture.

• Could the fear of lack be what’s hindering our ability to wait?
• Are we believing lies like ‘nobody will ever love me’, ‘I’ll never have what I need’, or ‘God cares for everyone else, but I’m all alone’?
• Is pride the mask on the face of our insecurities?
• Are we choosing disappointment and mental torment over waiting and enduring?

These questions directed me to the Truth found in James 1:2-4

“My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have it’s perfect work in you, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Being perfected through patience does not come without the suffering. The in-between moments are the ones I am learning to cherish.

It’s the space in between the notes that make the music. I believe God intended for the song in our hearts to be amazing… and the chorus may just be on the other side of suffering.

SHARE IT: