First Christian Church - Elizabethtown, Ky

The word patient means to bear a provocation, annoyance, misfortune or pain without complaint, loss of temper or irritation. Patience in the face of unfortunate circumstances is often fleeting and short in supply, even for Christians. We don’t like to be out of control. Discomfort is painful. The feeling of helplessness when we face a crisis turns our world upside down. We often have two primary reactions when things turn against us. We want to find some way to fix the situation or we want to find some way to get back at the person for the reason we are in this position. Patience in the midst of trouble requires us to stand firm on all we believe and know to be true. In 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, Paul tells the church “hold firmly to the word I preached to you.” It is in the times of trials, tribulations and crises that these words are most important. The book of James reminds us that life won’t be a bed of roses. He cautions us to not overreact and lose sight of the big picture in those times of trouble.