LONG SUFFERING (PATIENCE)- Fruit of the Spirit

 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

               We all face a lot of situations that try our patience on a daily basis. When times are hard it becomes even more difficult to persevere patience with a good attitude. There are a lot of times we are impatient, because we haven’t seen the results we wanted to see yet. We give up. As humans we often move too early or stop too soon because of our impatience.

                 Patience can be difficult to practice in our daily lives. God often brings people into our path who require patience from us. The kind of patience that Bible speaks is very different from worldly cultures. 1 Corinthians 6:7 says, “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?”  Paul also wrote to Ephesians in 4:1-2 saying, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another.”

               The Holy Bible teaches us ‘patience’ in its purest form. Jesus exhibited heavenly patience for us to follow. Practically with our own humanness it is impossible to be patient. But when our hope is on the Sovereign Lord, and when we completely rely on Him, the Holy Spirit will lead us in patience. They say, patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without being angry, frustrated or anxious. This long-suffering-patience can only be developed by seeking to do God’s will and accepting His timing, trusting that He will fulfill all of His promises in our lives according to His predestined plan. When our focus is fixed on the Lord’s will and promises, then the situations we see will not affect our inner being.  

                   God is patient with us at all times. He isn’t in a hurry. And when we keep listening to Him and wait on Him, He is able to meet our needs and help us grow the fruit of patience that has been seeded in our hearts through His word. Let us render ourselves completely to God’s way in our lives. Amen!