The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of patience would be Take That singing “…just have a little… patience”. Easier said than done!
The second thing that comes to mind is the Fruit of the Spirit. Patience is mentioned throughout the Bible and can also be translated as endurance or long-suffering. We are reminded often of its importance in trials and in maintaining a godly character. So it’s not just about keeping your cool or waiting about for something to happen. It’s actively choosing to endure hardships, to grow our faith throughout the ups and downs of life, as we walk with God and seek to live in the Spirit.
In the context of Galatians 5, we see patience listed among the Fruit of the Spirit. Paul contrasts these with behaviours that are rooted in sin, or ‘works of the flesh’. Paul talks about a life filled with sinful desires, living for self and satisfying the flesh. He goes on to describe how this life can be transformed by the work of the Spirit in our hearts, and how this work is manifested through the fruits of our character as believers. Cultivating patience through walking closely with God allows us to trust Him and lean on Him throughout life’s trials – it’s a lot easier to show patience when things are going our way, and we seem to be in control of our own lives. But when situations are hard, out of control and our prayers seem to bounce back, that’s when it’s harder to trust and be patient. However, v24 reminds us that if we belong to Jesus, we have crucified the flesh with its desires, and we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us develop our endurance throughout life’s storms. Romans 12v12 reminds us to be constant in prayer as we patiently wait on God’s timing and purposes to pan out.
We can also look to our Saviour Jesus, who was so patient in countless examples throughout Scripture. In the face of suffering, abuse, hurt, betrayal and ultimately dying for people that weren’t even sorry for their sins yet – we can see the ultimate example of patience. The more we seek Him, the more these characteristics in Galatians 5v22-23 will be evident in our lives. Of course we always fall short, but trying to respond to situations in love, and through trusting God’s plan, is how we can magnify patience in our lives.
Patience can be displayed individually in our lives through how we pray and leave situations in God’s hands. Choosing to trust God, praying without ceasing, and remaining hopeful show true patience. In our teams this summer, maybe it looks more like bearing with one another in love – Ephesians 4v2. It could also look like praying for the lost that we come into contact with, and trusting God with the outcome, despite maybe not seeing the fruit of our labour in our own time scale.
Some other passages to reflect upon relating to patience:
Some questions to consider:
Lord, help us to run after patience in every aspect of our lives. When our sinful selves just want to question Your timing, authority, or even whether You listen at all, help us to instead quietly trust in You, and to always remember that You are good, faithful, and Your ways are higher than ours. Amen.
