The Fruit of the Spirit is.... Patience

 

A recent family picture in Ireland. I love this family of mine
but the honest truth is that wherever people are in your life - 
some patience is needed too.

What is the definition of patience? "1.The bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain without complaint, loss of temper or anger. 2. An ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. 3. Quiet, steady, perseverance; even tempered care; diligence."

  We understand that patience is a part of the fruit of having the Holy Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22 & 23). With this trait especially it seems that I see the need for the other fruits as well if we are truly going to be patient. It is pretty hard to show patience without love or kindness. Gentleness is needed as well and peace can play a big role too. Just a reminder that we want to truly be living by the Spirit (Gal. 5:25) so that all of those fruits can work together in our life.

 I want to share first this verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 "We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone."   As I was meditating on this verse one day earlier this week starting thinking through how I could personalize this. This was written to the Christians in Thessalonica many, many years ago but it is still applicable to us today. This is something that we as Christians should do. So, is there any unruly people in my life that I should be admonishing? I was easily able to come up with some fainthearted people that I could work to encourage. I also could easily think of some weak (and I think either weak physically or weak in faith could apply here) that I could help. Then we go to the last section of the verse: "Be patient with everyone".  So, no need to wrack my brain on who should get patience from me - it is everyone! We all need patience from others because we all mess up, are at times annoying and we cause others to wait. When we are faced with being patient with others remember that they are also having to be patient with us.

 1 Corinthians 13:4 & 5 says "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered."  I think I need to meditate on this one for a while. 

  We that are Christians are called to tell others about Jesus. That isn't always an easy task. In 2 Timothy 4:1 & 2 we are told to do that with patience: "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom; preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."  Don't give up on this! Have patience with people!

This verse in 1 Peter 3:8 & 9 does not actually mention the word patience but in my opinion it kind of defines it for us: "To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing."   

We (me anyway) so often struggle with waiting on God's timing. James 5:7-11 addresses that: "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful."   What a good reminder to spend time reading the stories in the Bible and see how God was working in the lives of people in the past, how over time He worked things out and how they had to patiently wait. Hopefully we can learn to do that too!

 I have heard many times people saying "Don't pray for patience!" but I would disagree. I think we should pray for God to give us patience and help us to learn it and I think we should pray for that often.