Patience ughh… my least favorite fruit of the spirit for obvious reasons. If you’re doing great in this area, then good for you (sarcasm)! Many like me don’t like to wait on anything. We’ll talk about how we can achieve patience in our lives.
The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
As a new mom, I’m learning how to be patient with my daughter as she’s learning and taking in the world for the first time. It isn’t easy or fun to be patient but it’s well worth it to be a good parent and person in general.
Have you ever had someone behind you while you’re driving honk at you or start acting crazy on the road? It just makes them look ridiculous.
So I don’t lose my cool and act stupid in response or cause a road rage incident, I try to think maybe they’re dealing with an emergency or just going through a really rough time right now. Now that I have a daughter in the car, I’m much cooler-headed anyway.
We don’t want to be reckless in our lives like those people are. We don’t want to force things to happen that weren’t ever meant to happen. We don’t want to cause a big ole mess due to our lack of patience. This is why patience is so important and mentioned as a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
How can we be patient in affliction (aka tough times), or when we just don’t feel like being patient?
Many people out there aren’t out there to get you. They aren’t trying to be rude or run you off the road, they are just focused on themselves and probably aren’t paying attention to you. Then there are people who intentionally try to cause problems. So how do we deal with those people?
I could only find two verses on patience to discuss so we will take a look at those. If you find more, feel free to share!
Peace and patience are intertwined and it’s hard to have one without the other just like most fruits of the Spirit are. Ephesians 4:2-3 says: “always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.”
Being forgiving and gentle towards others totally ties into being patient and keeping peace with others. Not just being patient in general but when others make mistakes or do us wrong intentionally.
That verse literally says to make every effort to keep unity and peace. Are we making every effort to keep peace in our homes and outside of them? I’d guess most people don’t do that which is why there are so many problems in the world.
As Christians, we are called to live to this high standard because patience is important to our health, our relationships, our future, and so many other things. In times when it’s extremely difficult to be patient, we must remember how patient the Lord has been with us through the years and how we didn’t deserve it.
If we claim to be Christians, we will not only draw closer in relationship with the Lord but we will become more like Him. God and His tender mercies are the gold standard of patience we are called to strive towards.
Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.
I mentioned earlier that when we aren’t patient, we tend to force things to happen that shouldn’t have ever happened. Have any of you done that before or is it just me?
I’ve forced relationships to happen that should’ve never happened. I’ve forced people to hurry up and get out of my way. I’ve forced people to do things. I’ve forced things to happen that should’ve never happened. Wow, I sound like a great person right now don’t I?
As you’ve heard in my other podcasts, none of us are perfect. If you say you are then you’re lying. Jesus was the only perfect human being who never sinned.
When He was interrupted and someone got in His way, what did He do? He would stop everything He was doing and give that person His time. He dropped everything to be there for others and make allowances for their mistakes.
Did Jesus have to be humiliated by others and tortured for our sin? Absolutely not. He could’ve had thousands of angels by His side at a moment’s notice yet He didn’t do that.
If we aren’t patient and enduring with others and our faith, we will miss out on so many blessings the Lord is trying to give us in due time. If we aren’t enduring with our faith, we won’t get the prize at the end of the race. We won’t get to hear, well done my good and faithful servant. If you haven’t heard the podcast “Are You Faithful or Faithless”, you should go give it a listen.
In those moments we feel like being impatient with others, in those moments we feel like giving up on God and His plan for our lives, remember He never gives up on you. He sent His son to die for your sin.
It’s time for some PTC!
I’m still learning how to be patient myself so I’m no expert but this PTC acronym has helped me. Pause and take a moment to gain composure before acting or reacting.
Then take the thought captive and choose to do what I know the Lord would have me do in that particular situation as if He were right there. Because in reality, He is anyway. He’s always present and with us.
Let me know what has helped you to be patient!
A Prayer For You
Lord, thank You for being patient with me when I didn’t deserve it. Thank You Jesus for suffering and dying for my sins when You didn’t have to. Please show me how to be more patient with others around me and during tough times. I want to finish the race strong and give You all the glory and honor. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Stay hopeful!
