Patience

So you've realized that you're fresh out of groceries. Your house is filled with grumbling bellies and your family is beginning to ask for food. You have every desire to give them what they asked for, but does their action of asking you for food fill their bellies and satisfy their hunger? Of course not! Instead, you must take the action of physically making a trip to the store, taking the time to go down each isle, fill your cart, and purchase the items. It is the same way with God.

It is easy to pray for most fruit of the Spirit. I mean, who wouldn't want to be loving, joyous, peaceable, kind, filled with goodness, gentle, and self-controlled? While that fruit is just ask laborous to cultivate as patience is, it's not as scary to ask for as it is to ask for patience! Somehow, there's a speculation that when one prays to be patient, something difficult will occur in the life of the pray-er--you know, like a drawn out decision, an annoying neighbor, or perpetual Monday through Friday traffic jams. However, despite any trial or hardship asking for it may bring, patience is a part of God's personality that we must not neglect in growing. Doing so would be like going to an amusement park with the expectation that the workers disassembled all of your least favorite roller coasters just so you'd be fully comfortable riding all the rides you especially like.

Here's a pretty raw cut of what the Bible says about patience:

Patience is the product of God's Spirit. Growing fruit does not spontaneously occur but instead takes much work, discomfort, and time. One must be willing to go through whatever process his or her Gardner chooses to taste the sweetness of the Gardner's seed. ("But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."Galatians 5:22)

One must choose to be patient. In the same way as not getting dressed in the morning would land you rather unprepared for the day, not intentionally choosing to be patient will leave you impatient. Yes, patience is a fruit that must be grown and cultivated by God, but laying back in laziness and arrogance will not help you become any more patient. In the NIV translation, the verse below says to "clothe" yourself with patience. That implies a physical and intentional decision. Imagine a closet full of godly qualities. You've got to physically put those clothes on in order to wear them, don't you? ("So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12)

Really, patience is the way to go...In the same way it might take an outside influence to point out that eating an entire tub of frosting isn't the best idea, it takes this blunt, straight-forward verse to say that patience is far better than pride. Interestingly enough, since patience and pride are mentioned it the same thought, it makes me wonder if people are impatient because of their own pride.(Crazy, I know!) Pride has everything to do with pleasing the self first or above all others even remotely involved. Patience, on the other hand, gives importance to the last and the least. Remember what Jesus said about those? ("Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit." Ecclesiastes 7:8b)

Do not think lightly of the patience God Himself shows us. We have every reason to praise God! He is kind! He is tolerant! He is patient! If it weren't for these qualities, we would be left completely hopeless! ("Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?"Romans 2:4)

Finally, I implore you as Paul so earnestly did in Ephesians 4:1-3:

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 in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Every action you perform, whether for yourself or another, has only two powers: to create unity or division in the body of Christ. Which will you choose?


So what are you impatient about? What do you do while your waiting?