Hello, patience pioneers!
Ever felt like you’re caught in a storm without an umbrella? The rain is pouring, the wind is howling, and you’re getting soaked to the bone. But what if you could become the umbrella? Welcome to the club of ‘makrothumia’ and ‘hupomenō’! James, our spiritual life-hack connoisseur, points us to the prophets and Job as the poster boys for these two Greek words that are the heavyweight champions of patience (James 5:10-11).
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience (makrothumia) in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered (hupomenō). You have heard of Job’s perseverance (hupomenō) and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
James 5:10–11 (NIV)
First up, we have ‘makrothumia’. It literally means ‘long-temper’, the opposite of being ‘short-tempered’. The prophets faced trials and tribulations from folks who were as unchangeable as a cat’s disdain for bath time. But they hung in there, delivering God’s messages with the patience of a parent trying to get a toddler to put on their shoes. It’s like dealing with a difficult coworker or a challenging family member, maintaining a long-temper means not losing your cool when they push your buttons. It’s about responding with kindness and understanding, even when they’re being difficult. It’s like becoming a human umbrella, shielding yourself and others from the downpour of negativity.
Then there’s Job, the epitome of ‘hupomenō’, which means to ‘hyper-stand’, like a soldier standing his ground under fire. Job faced suffering that was as unexplainable as a cosmic joke without a punchline. But he remained patient, and in the end, he got to know the Lord’s compassion and mercy. It’s like facing a personal health issue or a loved one’s, it’s a situation that requires you to ‘hyper-stand’. You have to face the reality of the situation, seek treatment, and navigate the healthcare system, all while dealing with the emotional toll it takes. It’s like being a human umbrella, standing firm against the storm of suffering, providing shelter and hope for yourself and others.
So, what’s the life hack here? It’s about understanding that Christian patience isn’t just about waiting. It’s about enduring. It’s about standing firm in the face of unchangeable people and unexplainable circumstances. It’s about having a long-temper and hyper-standing, even when life throws you curveballs. It’s about becoming a human umbrella, providing shelter in the storm through your patience and perseverance.
So, next time you’re caught in a metaphorical storm, remember the prophets. Remember Job. And remember that true patience is a blend of long-temper and hyper-stand – a long-tempered endurance that trusts in God’s compassion and mercy, even when you’re getting drenched.
Reflect on a time when you had to exercise long-temper and hyper-stand. How did these experiences deepen your understanding of patience and perseverance in your faith journey?
I remember it just like yesterday when I was so stuck in misery and self, I was done living in darkness. I remember surrendering crying out to God, I checked into Ashland home. While I was there it gave me the opportunity to rebuild and reconnect my relationship with God. I had to be still and be able to tap into myself and my “makrothumia” By the mercy and grace of God, I found myself and was able to love myself again. That brought me back to my kids, sister, parents, family, friends, my community, my church, life, and most importantly being able to identify my loving GOD. Have a great day everyone 🙏🏻❤️ I pray oh God that you continue to guide me this week to be a human umbrella, providing shelter in the storm through your patience and perseverance.
One thing that seems to be genetic in my family is short-tempered so to exercise long-tempered can be hard and for me, takes daily prayer to ask God for help. I think culturally from a Korean background, the idea of hyper-standing has a long standing history and was demonstrated in my family. When I read God’s word on these topics I am motivated to strive for these things because I know that is what God desires of us. I think when we see people who embody these traits, it makes us realize that living God’s way is better and in my experience when I have been able to exercise these traits myself, I have seen how this is beneficial for my life. Ultimately, like we have been reading, when something is God-sized in task or scope, the only thing we can do is to generally be long-tempered and hyper-standing waiting on God.
“How did these experiences deepen your understanding of patience and perseverance in your faith journey?” I’ve experience “hyper-stand” in the past where I had to face the reality of a situation and realize real fast that groveling and moping around wasn’t doing me any favors. I had to put my emotions in check and I had to accept that the reality of the situation did indeed happen and now I had to navigate through it whether I liked to or not. I will admit it was tempting to throw in the towel and quit but I endured and saw my situation through to the end and I got to experience God’s mercy for me much like how Job did as mentioned in the passage today. In terms of patience and perserverence regarding my faith journey, I learned that “hyper-stand” is part of the growing process of faith. Like how a blacksmith would temper metal with intense heat to refine it, so to does God temper me through my journey to refine faith.
I would say a situation where I had to exercise long-temper and hyper stand was when my mom was going through hospice. I had to face the reality that she would shortly pass while trying to fight to our best to find a cure. I remember fully surrendering to God because that was our only hope left. When she passed, I remember being mad at God, because I felt that He did not answer my prayer to save her. However, I realized that I didn’t have the eternal perspective and He did save her eternally. This helped deepen my faith as God’s grace and salvation became even deeper to me.