Be Patient

Grandmaster Han has repeatedly said, these principles have their source in the Bible. So, that is where we will look:

Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly (Proverbs 14:29).

A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel (Proverbs 15:8).

Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city (Proverbs 16:32).

A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11).

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride (Ecclesiastes 7:8).

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:2).

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2).

Patience is the opposite of quick temper and contrary to pride. The patient are humble, slow to anger, long-suffering, and self-controlled. The impatient are foolish and rash, quick to pick a fight, and easily offended. Patience is characterized by gentleness, loving-kindness, forbearance, and wisdom. A patient person is greater than a warrior, for while the warrior may conquer cities, the patient person has conquered himself.

Consider the famous duel between Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro that took place in 1612 on Funashima island in Japan:

Kojiro was a retainer to the Hosokawa clan, while Musashi was a masterless samurai. On the day of the duel, many notable men accompanied Kojiro to Funashima, while Musashi traveled alone in a boat with simply a boatman.

Kojiro was famous for his legendary speed with the sword. It is said that he was able to draw, thrust, and return his sword in the blink of an eye. His pride was just as legendary. He even named his favorite sword.

Musashi was a master of strategy and, knowing of Kojiro’s pride in his sword, he carved a wooden sword (“bokken”) from the boat’s spare oar during the trip to the island. To further unnerve his opponent Musashi arrived three hours late to the duel.

The duel didn’t last too long. Kojiro, impatient from waiting so long, unsheathed his sword and tossed his scabbard aside. Musashi faced him with his carved bokken and said “You won’t need that anymore, you have already lost.”

After a long time simply facing each other in absolute stillness, Musashi positioned himself so that the sun was at his back and in Kojiro’s eyes. Then, after a brief burst of swordplay, Kojiro cut Musashi’s headband off while Musashi struck Kojiro’s head and cracked his skull.

This famous battle illustrates the value of patience and the folly of impatience. Mas Oyama, a Korean martial arts legend, gained his inspiration from Miyamoto Musashi. Of all the lessons he gained from him, perhaps his greatest lesson was self-control. At the heart of patience is self-control. Both patience and self-control are listed as fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

We would all do well to grow in patience. I encourage all of you to meditate on the Scriptures I provided above. Pray for patience. You will not need to wait long before your patience is tested.