"O Lord, let that become possible to me by grace, which by nature seemeth to me impossible. Thou knowest that I am able to suffer but little, and that I am quickly cast down, when a slight adversity ariseth. For Thy Name's sake, let every exercise of tribulation be made lovable and desirable to me; for to suffer and to be disquieted for Thy sake is very wholesome for my soul." (The Imitation of Christ)
The above is a prayer for the patient endurance of suffering. The reading "Of the Endurance of Injuries, and Who Is Approved to Be Truly Patient", teaches one in adversity "to consider Christ's Passion and the sufferings of other holy men" to see in comparison how little our sufferings truly are and to better prepare us to bear our own tribulations. When we feel our troubles are great it is usually because our patience is little.
To say "I cannot endure to suffer these things at the hands of this man, nor ought I endure things of this sort" dismisses the virtue of patience and causes us to assess another and the injuries. A truly patient man is prepared to accept any adverse action and take it "thankfully as from the hand of God and esteem it a great gain".
the splinter
4 years ago
