Patience or Endurance?

Websters Dictionary described:

• ‘Patience’ as bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint, steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity, able or willing to bear 
• ‘Endurance’ as the ability to withstand hardship or adversity, the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity

It appears patience is the ability to accept the delay or deal with wrongdoings made against us AND endurance is experiencing and surviving the pain or hardship that come from difficult things in our life. Patience is a common prayer request we lift up to the Lord, and certainly without it, there are pretty good odds we will sin somewhere along the way whether it is having anger, bitterness, revenge, say hurtful words or whatever might be the case you do when you ‘loose your patience.’ But how often do we pray for endurance? When I think of endurance, I think of the long haul, not easy, but fruitful results. The best results come from endurance. Both words sounds very similar to me, somehow tied together perhaps?

When I look in scripture, here’s what I see about patience:

• It goes with humility, gentleness and love (Eph 4:2)
• Love is patient (1 Cor 13:4)
• Patience calms quarrels (Prov 15:18)
• Patience reaps a harvest (Gal 6:9)
• Patience for the Lord inherits His blessings (Psalm 37:7-9)
• It is a fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:22)

And now endurance:

• Endurance produces character, character produces hope (Rom 5:3-4)
• Endurance receives what is promised (Her 10:36)
• Steadfast (endurance) will receive the crown of life (Jam 1:12)
• Suffering produces endurance (Rom 5:3)
• Blessed are those who remain steadfast (Jam 5:11)

Both words have been rolling through my head since the beginning of the year. Curious why?

Patience: Well, we are 15 months into our second adoption, no results. Yep, that’s right, still waiting to be matched!  BUT I know the long haul is worth it to give a child a family. We are now over a decade from when we first asked the Lord for children, if it was His will. As we patiently waited out His WILL and not ours, it’s far beyond what I could of imagined of goodness. Pouring into our son day in and day out, not always noticing the results - so patiently waiting to see what God is doing. Then he straight up shares the Gospel with an entire class at church a few weeks ago with a boldness unmatched. The next day, my patience is tested. Haha, an ongoing learning process.

Endurance: This past winter, both Jason and I were preparing for running races. Me a half marathon, Jason a full marathon. There is a reason scripture uses running so often for an illustration of endurance. It takes commitment, determination, much of your time and efforts, and produces as incredible result of accomplishment when you are done. Crazy hard, not fun even, but exciting to think about when you finish it. This past week, we celebrated out 13th wedding anniversary. Amazing, right?!?! Love, commitment…incredible results! Our first adoption took over three and a half years from start to finish, and every day when my little boy makes me laugh, incredible results! And is this not the Christian faith -> scripture says it will be hard, take sacrifice, there will be suffering, but eternal results you won’t want to miss.

BOTH patience AND endurance are good things. Attributes we must strive for as we see the example in Jesus himself! It’s no surprise BOTH ARE HARD, but when you aim for both, I promise the results will be SO worth it. So let’s pray and ask God for patience AND endurance - and just wait and see the goodness that’ll come from it.