BE PATIENT by Philip Giddings

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 3, 1901

BE PATIENT.

By Philip Giddings

PHILIP GIDDINGS.

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. . . . Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” James 5:7, 8.

The Christian life is a race, and the “wherewithal” we run it is patience. Paul says, “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Heb. 12:1.

In James 5 there are two different root-words from which “patience” is translated. The root-idea of the first (θύος) is “sacrifice,” “offering,” “to burn as incense;” and so to consume, to suffer (μακρός, long), to suffer long. The root-idea of the other (μονή) is “to endure,” “to hold out,” “to wait;” and so to be patient.

“Sacrifice,”—this is what the Christian ought to be—on God’s altar of service, not refusing to be dealt with as seems best to Him, but with full, submissive confidence in a Father’s unchanging love and unerring wisdom, like Isaac, not to wrestle, but to rest. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Rom. 12:1.

“Offering”—whole burnt offering. The Christian is to offer not a part only, but the whole self. Nor is he to offer the whole for any other purpose than to be burned, to be consumed, to be spent,—wholly to the Lord. The burnt offering was voluntary. Thus also the Christian’s service should be, “not grudgingly, or of necessity,” but cheerfully and willingly; “for God loveth a cheerful giver.” 1 Cor. 9:7. The question is still, “Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto God?” 1 Chron. 29:5. “Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord.” Ex. 35:5.

Some give themselves to God, but would dictate how God should use them. They do not object to being placed on the altar, so long as the knife and the fire are not used. They would serve God only as it serves their convenience. They would go God’s errand provided they have a business of their own in the same direction. They would be “showbread;” but even the showbread was not simply for show, but to be consumed.

The service of Christ is self-losing; but in that paradoxical way, lose so as to gain. “He that loseth his life . . . shall find it.” “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth.” “That which thou sowest is not quickened [made alive], except it die.”

Is it not so in the nature of things? Is not a man’s income the return of his outcome increased? Is not rest the fruit of weariness? Crown is but the metamorphosis of cross,—double s changing to zen. He that sows time for God, shall reap eternity to himself.

“To burn as incense.” The sweet savor of the incense is smelled only as it burns; and then it is not lost, but becoming volatile, it ascends. The fragrance of the stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, with pure frankincense, was best got only as these substances were beaten very small and submitted to holy fire. And those who would make an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor must fall on the Rock and be broken to pieces.

“We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom.” Acts 14:22. The tribulum was the thrashing-machine wherewith the ancients beat out their corn. By like process God is beating out His. Therefore “we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.” Rom. 5:3. Without patience we shall growl instead of glory; and growls would blemish the offering. Therefore in patience let us possess our souls. Luke 21:19. We cannot change the path to the kingdom. It used to be via the Cross Road, cutting adverse angles with the Broadway of Self, and still is. There is only one way, as there is only one Christ, and that way through the street called Strait.

The most trying thing for most of us is to be patient, to suffer and not complain. But this is the means God has chosen—patience, suffering, more or less severe, according to the purpose He has in view,—to us many a time incomprehensible, and, perhaps, must be until we know as we are known.

But this much seems apparent—that God is working on the plan of the reversal. “Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.” 1 Cor. 15:21. As the devil brought death into life, God will bring life out of death. As he brought tears into laughter, God will bring laughter out of tears. As he brought curse into God’s blessing, God will bring blessing out of his curse. And so it is written, Cursed be the earth for man’s sake,—not the curse of vengeance or ill-will, but of an antidote made necessary, a “counterirritant over the seat of disorder to obtain a revulsive action.”

Not more so the wrath of men than of demons shall praise Him. The very serpent whose bite would cause death, God can use so “that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” Num. 21:8. Yea, God can take that serpent, at once the symbol of death and of life, and illustrate the Saviour, through whose death is life: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14, 15.

So, then, the riddle is still: “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.” Judges 14:14. It is the plan now that bread must be got out of the sweat of affliction. Bethel’s ladder whereon angels descend and ascend is based on stony griefs, which, however, are but the gate of heaven. Meteors must be seen through smoked glasses, and even our teardrops might serve to refract and reflect God’s sunlight of love into prismatic bow of promise.

Be patient, suffer, permit to be done with or unto. It is the process of perfection. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers

temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2–4.

The value of a thing is in proportion to the labor bestowed upon it. When I was a child, there were some children whose lot seemed to my ignorance more to be coveted than others. I noticed they did not go to school,—no lessons to learn, no correction to receive. They did just whatever they wanted to do. Their parents simply let them alone. The others had to go to school. They had hard tasks to perform, corrections to receive, parents frowning to submit to,—a rein and bridle, sometimes stiffly drawn, to insist the way they should and must go.

Standing to-day on the height of riper years and clearer vision, I see the difference: One class, fine, cultured men, like the transparent, brilliant diamond of value; the other, coarse, dark, shapeless, and comparatively valueless charcoal—same in substance, but different in arrangement. All the difference there is between man and man is in their training. Train, strain, restrain,—these three.

Taste this loaf of bread. See how fine its texture compared to that other loaf. Both from the same brand. But one dough has been kneaded more than the other.

Look at that beautiful statue of Athene by Phidias. Whence comes the difference between it and that shapeless block yonder?

Spiritually are not some of us, like ignorant children, thinking that, because God chastens us, we are badly treated, and worse off than others whom He lets alone, forgetting that “whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth”? And because the wicked for a time are not plagued like other men, we, like David, almost wish we were they?

Be patient, brethren. We now see through a glass darkly, but after a while it will be face to face.

“How long, Lord?” Ps. 79: 5. To us, God’s dealings seem sometimes interminable. We do not understand why the cloud hangs over us so long, why the pressure of trouble lasts year after year. We cry out, in gusts of impatience, “How long, Lord?”

This parable helped me; may it help you to be silent, still, and long-suffering: A bar of iron worth £1, when wrought into horseshoes, is worth £2; if made into needles, it is worth £70; if into penknife blades, it is worth £650; into watch springs, it is worth £50,000. What a drilling the poor bar must undergo to be worth this; but the more it is manipulated, the more it is hammered, and passed through the fire, and beaten and pounded and polished, the greater its value.

So with us. Those that suffer most are capable of yielding most; and it is through pain that God is getting the most out of us for His glory and the blessing of others. It will be all right some day. We shall see it all and be satisfied. Yes, great Father, we would like to be watch springs. Go on, stay not the discipline. Take no heed of our cry if sometimes we forget ourselves and question, “How long?”