A response to Mr. Weiss' article on Tenacity (click here to view article)

Your article on tenacity makes me think of a reflection I had this week.

The most tenacious people I have ever known are tenacious because of their willingness to suffer for what they hold dear, namely our Lord Jesus and His Gospel.

The word Patience, itself is from the Latin verb “Patior”, which means to suffer.
The word “Paitens”, from which Patience comes, is a gerund form of that verb, literally translated “a suffering [one]”. A patient person is a suffering person.

Perseverance is also from Latin, meaning “through [cutting] extremes”. The meaning of this word is soaked in suffering, as well. “perseverance” brings up a word picture of someone having pieces of them cut off as they battle to the end. It is an image of loss for a cause. Jesus talked about us giving up this life. Jesus talked about us cutting off things that cause us to sin… Jesus said we had to lose this life to gain the next. Jesus said that we had to hate this life…

Tenacity isn’t in the King James, no. But look at the word image, there, too. It’s the image of someone hanging onto a branch, fallen over the edge of a cliff. Tenacity isn’t in the Bible, in my opinion, because it’s root strength is found in US. It is a word that speaks of OUR ability to hold on, for which we often take credit and glorify our own efforts.

Tenacity is a more worldly term, because it centers itself on human strength, and omits that essential quality of our Lord’s redemptive work through His servants—SUFFERING. Remember, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

It is a Christian’s willingness to suffer that produces in them the patience that surpasses all worldly tenacity. It transcends our ability to “hold onto” (from the latin root of tenacity-tenere). Willingness to suffer (Passion) produces in us patience that comes from our uncanny and otherworldly ability to “let go of”.

1 Peter 4:1 tells us that suffering is what lies ahead—that it is the readiness to suffer that is necessary for us to endure the “fiery trials’ that lie ahead of us.

Paul assures Timothy that all who endeavor to live godly in Christ Jesus will SUFFER persecution…

So… a word study on Tenacity is a lower thing than a word study in Patience.

By the way, “Patience” is not in the King James Bible, at least not the early versions (there have been LOADS of revisions). Patience is translated, “LONGSUFFERING”.

In my view, and that of the apostles, and Jesus, and the Psalms, and the Prophets, and the writings, and the Law of Moses, we should emerge from study of these things with a faithful, courageous, true “martyr complex”.

It is my prayer that Gods children die by beheading at the hands of their enemies, rather than advocate the shedding of their enemies’ blood. This is a subtopic of Patience, but it must be clear to all who call themselves Christian that it is through SUFFERING, ourselves that we “Fill up what is lacking in the Sufferings of Christ.”

And what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ? You are. He invites you into the ‘fellowship of his suffering’. This is where we really get to know Jesus. I’m excited about offering up my daily trials to Him as fellowship, giving thanks all the while that I’m purchased and adopted by the work of the Cross and the Holy Spirit. God forgive how I fail to do this, far too often.

Pray for me that I realize this goal in my life. I pray the same for you.