“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Gal. 5:22-23
“Love suffers long [is patient]and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;” 1 Cor. 13:4……………….
“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……………….
“…be patient with all.” 1 Thess. 5:14……………
“Be patient today,” the Spirt of God spoke to me as I knelt briefly on my knees. “That is the word I am giving you today. This is all.”
When the Holy Spirt says to me, “this is all,” I have long since learned, He is done speaking to me at that point in time. So I rose from my knees to continue forth in the day. The next stop was here. To give you this message.
Be patient. Patience is so fundamental to being a Christ follower and yet it runs so very contrary to this fast paced world, this hurried and harried, rushed and so often so very busy culture. Yet it is absolutely necessary and a key component to being a Christ follower. Most importantly, it is a command of God He issues over and again in His Word.
I don’t know about you, but when I am impatient, and IMPATIENCE itself is sin, there is more sin behind it. WORRY that I won’t get everything done, FEAR that I won’t accomplish something, PRIDE that I’m the only one who can do it or help someone or that I need to prove myself, ANXIETY that results in my struggling to slow down, SELFISHNESS in that I’m rushing others in my impatience, LACK OF TRUST IN GOD AND GOD’S TIMING, DOUBT that God has a plan and a time frame and that His plan and time frame are perfect, UNBELIEF that God will provide what is needed whether it’s what I need or others need and therefore I’m hurrying along to do everything myself, and on and on.
Maybe you can relate to some if not all of this sin. To some if not all of the reasons some of us find ourselves being impatient. No matter the reasons, the answer is always the same. PATIENCE is a fruit of God’s Holy Spirit living inside His followers, and if we are not bearing this fruit, we need to go before the Lord and repent of any and all sins and find out what He wants us to do, what He wants to change in us, and allow Him by His Spirit to refine us, to purify us, to conform us to Himself. So we become PATIENT. So we bear the fruit of PATIENCE!
Are you being impatient? Please turn to the Lord. And listen. And obey. For His glorious name’s sake!