The word patience is mentioned in the Bible seventy times. But who has the patience to count that? I wonder why patience must be a Fruit of the Spirit. The Bible makes it clear that the moment one believes in Jesus Christ, one receives the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the result of His indwelling in the life of a Christian.
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, says, “But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22, 23 NIV) I tend to believe that these virtues are accessible and meant for all the human race. Is it not what God intended for all humanity?
The fourth Fruit of the Spirit is patience. It can be one of the most challenging attributes to cultivate. It’s hard to wait on God and others. All of us have been told at some point in our lives to just be patient. In our age of instant gratification, nobody enjoys patiently waiting; whether it is waiting in a doctor’s office past your given appointment time, sitting in the middle of traffic, waiting for the green signal, or trying to get the children to do their chores. Sometimes it is hard for us to express patience in these situations.
Our days can be long, hard, and incredibly stressful. Finding patience is the last thing on our minds when it should be the first thing. Probably, the apostle Paul had a logical reason for listing patience following love, joy, and peace. Psalm 37:7 (NIV), says, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” Some synonyms for patience are forbearance, tolerance, endurance, calm, long-suffering, willingness, obedience, perseverance, hopefulness, and trust. If we possess at least three of these qualities . . . we are sure to have patience. In simple terms, patience is waiting.
The good news is that you don’t have to wait alone. As you wait, you acknowledge God as omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable, and yet a very personal Father. This is to understand that He has the utmost interest in your life.
After Nine Years of Waiting
I desired to emigrate to a certain country of my choice and settle in my profession for life. This did not happen quickly or easily. All my efforts to achieve this goal were in vain. My prayers yielded no favorable answer. After three long years of waiting, I became impatient and lost hope. But the Holy Spirit made me realize that I needed to stay strong in faith and wait patiently. I prayed for patience, peace, and faith during those long years. Finally, after nine years of waiting, God directed me on an easy route for emigrating to Canada.
Reflecting back over time, I do not regret those years of awaiting the path God carved out for me. It is way better than what I desired for myself. I learned to hope and trust in the Lord for everything in life. I learned to wait without complaining, to be tolerant, and to accept difficulties.
I needed to picture the end from the onset and persevere to meet my goals, allowing God to work His will. “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8: 25, 26 NIV).
Call to Action
Ask God for the patience you need to get you through all your struggles, pain, and trials. May you be like Jesus as He fills you with His love. James admonishes, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4 NKJV).
This article is the fourth in a series of articles on the fruits of the Spirit. We plan to publish a new one every 1-2 months. The next fruit of the Spirit = KINDNESS.
Scripture noted as NIV above is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Unless noted otherwise, scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
