Patience with Joy
May 26, 2020
By Pastor Dan Chun
Colossians 1:11-12 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
It is good news that the Mayor of Honolulu has allowed us to worship in-person when we are ready. Many are eager to get back together. According to the survey of our congregation that we did last Sunday, 30% said they canʻt wait to get back, while the other 70% said they will want to wait a bit due to coronavirus concerns.
No matter where you are on the spectrum of waiting, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to be patient.
Our passage today calls us to endure everything with patience. Everything? But we have waited two months to see each other! But the passage says to be patient. No way!
The 12th verse says we are to be patient “while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
Joyfully? Really?
While giving thanks? For what?
Give thanks that our Father has given you a relationship with Him, whether you are in a building or not. He has given you a church fellowship for decades and, yes, for now you must wait at least a few more weeks. But weʻve been waiting ten weeks to see each other! Yes, ten weeks is a very long time. Hereʻs a perspective.
During the Cultural Revolution in China, the churches were closed by the Communists. Not for ten weeks, but for TEN YEARS! I spoke to a Chinese pastor in Nanjing who said on Christmas Eve they would silently stand on the sidewalk across the street from their church, trying not to attract attention, and stare with tears in their eyes at their sanctuary, longing to fellowship once again.
This Chinese pastor was also put in labor camps for his faith. Some were imprisoned. Some were killed for declaring their obedience to Jesus.
During our time of patience, may we reflect how fortunate we have been to even be worshipping together for years. May we be thankful that it might only be a few more weeks to wait.
May we never take for granted the possibility that we can freely worship in our homes, as even now many of our brothers and sisters in China worship in hiding.
May we be thankful that we share joyfully the same inheritance of those saints in China, but even more so that we have the privilege of public and private worship, while even today they do not.
If we are truly followers of Jesus, patience should be one of our virtues. For it is in patience that we are saying God is in control. We are thankful for whatever comes our way for He is our Lord who allows it, and He sustains and strengthens us.
Colossians 3:12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Prayer: Lord, may we have thankful hearts that drives our compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and, yes, patience in our lives. In Christʻs name, Amen.
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