The word that came up today is hypomone, a greek word that is translated as endurance in Revelation 2:2
2“ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.
3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
(Revelation 2:2–3, ESV, https://ref.ly/Re2.2-3;esv)
William Barclay emphasizes that this is not a passive endurance. It’s not one sitting and waiting in the rain. It’s active. The Google AI summary also presses this. This is an active patience that puts up with what is happening, not one that passively waits.
You can see that from the contrast shown in these two verses too.
“I know your works, your toil, and patient endurance.” Activity, labor, and this hypomone. I heard a guy say on the behind the scenes video for Shang-Chi and the 10 Rings: “In martial arts movies and marvel movies, you express character through action.” DANG! How about that?
It’s the same in life. When people don’t take time to get to know you or understand the nuances of your life, they judge you by your actions. This “expressing character through action” isn’t just for the movies. It happens all over the place. The pastor that treats the customer service rep like he never expects to see her at his church, much less in heaven. The pixie-cut Walmart stocker that tells you what aisle to go to but then remarks that she’s never had that before and prefers these other cookies instead.
Character expressed through action.
So hypomone. Active and enduring patience. Some so-called apostles were tested and found to be false. How else would they be found to be so unless it showed up over time. I know pastors that are no longer pastors for various reasons, but still are excellent servant-ministers in their workplaces. I know pastors that are still pastors, but serve only their own purposes, their own kingdoms. Passive patience or enduring patience will show us all what we’re made of.
Eventually.
”The Christian way is not for the dilettante and for the man who fears to break sweat. The Christian must spend his life going all out for Christ and for his fellow-men. The Christian is the toiler for Christ, and, even if physical toil is forbidden to him and impossible for him, he can still toil in prayer.
- Willian Barclay, Commentary on Revelation 2:1-7
Some of the greatest pray – ers I’ve known were 90 year old men in nursing homes. Unable to walk on their hands or swing a hammer like they did in their 60s, they were praying for me and others from their beds in their 90s.
Enduring, active patience.
We are working in gratitude and purpose. We are laboring in confidence and the duty that is gracious but overflows from our love. We are patient because we know the Promiser is faithful. We know that the promises He made will come true.
This is our work.
This is why we will not grow weary.
