Spiritual Fruit: Patience

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives… patience” (Galatians 5:22, NLT).

PATIENCE by Nutmeg Design and Suzanne Halstead

Would you rather watch ketchup move at a snail’s pace through a bottle you’ve shaken, arrive at a railroad crossing as a train begins passing, or stand in line at a grocery store?

We Americans are impatient. Someone has observed that we’re the only nation in such a hurry we named a mountain “Rush-more.”

He’s Trying My Patience

We know we should be more patient, but It’s been a year when others, Christians included, have tested our patience.

The disciple Peter had that problem. He took his frustration to Jesus. “Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ ” (Matthew 18:21, NKJV).

To Peter’s surprise, “Jesus said, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven’ “(Matthew 18:22, NKJV). To paraphrase Jesus, “Throw away the calculator.”

Jesus isn’t saying the other person shouldn’t be accountable. If we’re praying for the situation, we can trust God to work on them while He’s growing more patience in us.

The spiritual fruit of patience does two things. It anticipates positive change. It waits in hope.

My Patience is Wearing Thin

Sometimes, we need more patience with God.

After we pray, few things happen as quickly as we want. That raises a question: does saying, “Amen” mean you fully trust God’s wisdom and timing?

G. Campbell Morgan pastored London’s Westminister Chapel for 25 years. He once said of God, “He is nigh when He seems absent; He is watching when He seems blind; He is active when He seems idle.”

If we believe those words, it doesn’t matter which prayer isn’t fulfilled this week, this month, or this year. We can rest assured God is in control of every part of our world.

While we wait, the Holy Spirit wants to keep growing patience in us to trust God’s wisdom and His timing.

The Patience of A Saint

How did people in the Bible display the fruit of patience?

• Abraham and Sarah. They kept traveling as God directed for 25 years between the promise of a child and their parenthood.
• Joseph in Egypt. His loss of personal freedom, false accusations, and imprisonment stood between the dream God gave and its fulfillment. During Joseph’s difficult times, he remained faithful to God.
• David. Samuel anointed young David to be Israel’s second king. Killing Goliath made him a national hero, but he turned fugitive for 15 years before being crowned King. During that time, he honored God.

According to David in Psalm 40:1 (AMP), “I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry.”

Today, we too can pray, then wait with confidence for God’s perfect answer.

According to George O. Wood, former superintendent of the Assemblies of God, “He (God) not only has the desire to make the right things happen at the right time. He has the right information to know exactly what and when it should be.”

The Road Ahead:

1. Who in your life do you need to grow more patient with? Children? The elderly? A neighbor? Someone at work? Someone not keeping a promise? Another Christian? Ask God to help you grow in patience toward them.
2. Who needs to grow in patience toward you? Are you ready to pray for them while submitting to how God wants to change you?
3. The fruit of patience doesn’t grow because we understand God’s workings day by day. Patience grows because we keep trusting Him for what we’ll eventually see that He’s been doing behind the scenes.

Further Fuel: Ephesians 4:2; Galatians 6:9; Psalm 130:5.