Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. In Galatians 5:22 it is often called long-suffering, which literally means “long temper,” in the sense of “the ability to hold one’s temper for a long time.” A patient person is able to endure much pain and suffering without complaining. A patient person is slow to anger as he waits for God to provide comfort and act on their behave. Since it is a fruit of the Spirit, we can only possess it through the power and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If our lives aren’t surrendered to God then it would be impossible for the Holy Spirit to take over and do His work in us. A life that is surrendered to God gives way for the Holy Spirit to work. Want to grow in patience? Then surrender your life to the work of the Holy Spirit. God does not do anything against our will.
It’s funny how the Fruit of the Spirit works. We cannot obtain one without the other. You cannot operate in the fruit of patience if you do not also first operate in the fruit of love. You need to walk in love in order to walk in patience because love gives you a reason to be patient – love is patient. That is the first thing that came out of Paul’s mouth.
Why is patience so important to the Christian life, and why is it so important that it is listed as a Fruit of the Spirit?
We all need to develop more patience to deal with problems in our everyday lives — disagreements with our partners, annoyances from our children, unfair treatment from employers and coworkers, inconsiderate acts of our friends, etc. But, as Christians, we have an even greater need to develop real godly patience, living, as we do, in the pulsating pressure cooker that is this end time. We are challenged to endure to the end, and to patiently wait for when Jesus Christ will split the sky and ride in with all His might, glory and power; do away with darkness forever, and establish His Kingdom here on earth.
How many of you can truly say that you’re a patient person? After evaluating my life, I can see where there’s room for improvement. We all, at some point, are easily irritated and we know it. We invariably let others know it, either by grumbling accompanied by a face painted with the pain of having to suffer because God’s precious human beings don’t act the way we want them to. Sometimes we are seen shouting to let everyone within hearing distance know that we’ve “had it.” The great bulk of us is in between. We may not show much agitation on the outside, but inwardly we are churning with varying degrees of stress, wishing that people would “just get on with it” so we can do our thing. Am I right?
I will always point to Jesus, our perfect example. While He lived His life on earth, He was never seen even remotely losing control — even while under intense pressure from those who hated Him. Jesus suffered long and hard, even unto to death just so that what He was sent here to accomplish was done perfectly. To be followers of Jesus is to follow His example.
Respond:
- Reflect on 1 Peter 2:20-24. In what ways can this passage be applied to your life?
- Why do you think patience is important for the Christian life? Respond in the comments, and let us have a chat!
[arrow_forms id=’2702′]
Angelisa is a Jesus enthusiast, Worship leader & Christian youth leader. She considers herself to be the old-fashioned type of girl who loves spicy food and belly bottom laughter. Among her passions are singing, working with children, and encouraging others.