Hupomone!
I love the perfect song on a given day, the perfect sale for what my needs are, the perfect gift that fits a person, the perfect card that expresses difficult emotions; perfection does something for my soul! These verses mention the word “perfect” twice with perfection seeming to be the promise of enduring…
Hupomone in Greek, “endurance” has the meaning of “hopeful patient continuance”. So having hopeful patient continuance promises a perfect result in me so that I may be perfect and complete—or that I might have a mature moral character.
I have, and think I can, endure a lot in life–from a painful childhood to disappointments in marriage and parenting to difficult and frustrating work situations—I have continued through much muck. However, I can’t claim to have the promised result! The missing ingredient in my endurance is the “hopeful patient” part—I tend to stink at that. Hopeful suggests a positive anticipation and patient denotes a trust in God’s timing…the first words “And let” tell me I have a choice to make.
So daily, my endurance through life should show:
- fruit of the Spirit (You mean exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control during every trial?)
- doing all without complaining (Not even if it is justified or someone asks how I am?)
- no worry or anxiety (NONE even when my body betrays me and I wake in the night with so much on my mind?) but with prayer and thanksgiving let my request be known to God (not my family, friends, neighbors, FB buddies?)
- speaking words that encourage and meet the need of the moment (Oops)
- setting my mind on Christ, seated at the right hand of God (I am to have a far-seeing perspective not set on my momentary circumstances?)
These are the convictions that came to my mind as I considered the process of patient hopeful continuance. My endurance through faith testings isn’t about just getting through it; what matters is HOW I go through the process. What is my mind dwelling on? What is coming out of my mouth? How am I treating other people in the midst of my sufferings? The answers to these questions as I walk through trials determines my steps toward growth in moral character—the perfect result—making me perfect and completely like Jesus.
Thanks Patti…this is great…I really appreciate your words and your transparency in sharing from your heart. Your list of what it means to daily endure through life’s trials is powerful and refining. Thanks for that…it’s something that I can certainly refer back to in order to calibrate my heart and mind on God and His ways while going through trials. Thanks so much, Doug
bustin’ out the Greek! good stuff, Patti.
thanks!!!