We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:12 NIV)

Our scriptural reference above instructs us that it is apparent that the promises of God never come to fruition except through faith and patience.

On the landscape of the Body of Christ today, there are many churches with names like Faith Christian Center, or Faith Baptist Church. How many churches have you seen named Patience Christian Church?  Probably not one, I suspect. In this Bible verse, neither of these Christian virtues, faith or patience, is elevated over the other. Faith is never exercised without patience, and patience is not cultivated without faith. They always work in tandem and never in isolation.

Paul admonishes us not to become lazy. How do we become lazy? By not imitating those who have gone before us and have received the promises through faith and patient endurance. You have probably heard the prayer, Lord give me patience, right now. It would be nice if it worked that way, but it doesn’t.

When I was a young Christian, I would watch speakers come through our church and tell of their mountaintop experiences. They appeared to leap from one mountaintop to another. I could not get out of bed without, spiritual speaking, tripping over my own feet. I wondered what was wrong with me. These feelings continued until I observed the lives of these preachers more closely, and found out that between their mountaintop experiences were often long journeys through the valley of delay, discouragement, and even some failure.

There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. It only comes through patient endurance.  Imitating those who have gone before us and practiced faith and patience enables us to inherit the promises of God.

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]