Marbaniang, Domenic

Patience is forbearance, i.e. the moral capacity to endure and forbear delay or imperfection. Other words that explain its meaning are longanimity, fortitude, endurance, tolerance, and longsuffering. Patience is, thus, a word related to time. It is the measure of our durability in faith. 1. Patience is giving allowance to more time (Neh.9:30; Matt.18:26,29). Allowing more time is a process of suffering (loss, pain); therefore, patience is also longsuffering. 2. Patience is the ability to hold on, i.e. to possess one's self, to endure, to allow things to grow (Luke 21:19; 8:15) 3. Patience is connected with a future hope. Unless one has hope, one cannot allow patience (Rom.15:4; 1Thess.1:3) 4. Patience is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal.5:22). Only the Spirit who sees everything from the beginning to the end and stands above time can guide our hearts into all patience. Sources of Patience 1. God (Rom.15:5; 2Thess.3:5) 2. Scriptures (Rom. 15:4) 3. Being strengthened with all might, acco...

Self-control (also called "temperance") is a biblical virtue. It means to have control over our desires, emotions, imaginations, passions, and conduct. Self-control is something that can be lacked. In other words, it is something that one can lose or build up. 3 Areas of Self-Control Body - In eating, drinking, sleeping, exercise, speaking, action, indulgence of the senses, and sexual purity. (Prov.23:21; Luke 21:34; 1Thess.4:3,4,5; James 1:26; 3:1-12) Some rules: Don't overeat, don't oversleep, don't overspeak, don't overreact, observe cleanliness, eat properly, dress properly, etc.. Soul -  In thought, imaginations, feelings, emotions, and turning of the mind towards things or ideas. Some rules: Don't allow vain thoughts, don't nurse evil feelings, don't set mind on flesh, don't worry, don't vent all your feelings but control them, meditate on God's word, cultivate pure thoughts, worship and pray with mind and emotions (Phil.4:8; Pro...

A young man wanted to do some farming in his farm. So, he went and obtained some wheat seeds, had his farmland plowed and sown, and watered the field daily. He waited for 10 days. When he didn't see any sign of wheat, he got frustrated. He thought "It's not going to work!" However, he decided to wait for another 10 days. On the 8th day, however, when he saw no wheat, he said to himself "Either the seed was bad or this land is not suited for wheat." So, he replowed the land, destroying the tiny wheatblades that had already sprouted. He thought, "Let me try soyabean, this time." So, he sowed soyabean, but when he didn't see any beans after 10 days, he became frustrated again. He tried a few other crops this way, and finally surmised that farming was no longer his kind of job. So, he gave up. Lesson: 1. Know well what you're doing and the principles of the work before you undertake it. Luk 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, do...