Living Out the Fruit of the Spirit: For Kids + FamiliesSample

Have you ever had to wait for something that you really wanted right now? Maybe you’ve eagerly waited for a birthday party for your best friend. Or maybe summer break couldn’t come soon enough!

A fruit of the Spirit that Paul calls out is patience. To be patient means to wait and endure with grace and peace, even when something takes a long time to come. In the Bible, there are so many stories of people who waited patiently on God. Over and over, God reminds His children that His timing is different than our timing. And, He reminds us that He sees us and hears us in our waiting. 

Galatians 6:9 encourages us to keep doing what’s right and not give up on doing good, because in the right time—God’s time—we will see His goodness if we just keep going. 

Eight-year-old Velove from Indonesia was encouraged to join a competition at her Compassion centre last spring. Her challenge? To grow spring onions at home! In the summer, Velove and her classmates were given seeds to bring home, plant, water and care for. After three months of planting and growing her spring onions, the time came for Velove and her friends to harvest their plants.

The class tutor inspected everyone's plants, declaring Velove a winner! “I was surprised to be one of the winners of the spring onion planting challenge,” she says. “I feel satisfied because my patience paid off when my spring onions flourished.”

Just like Velove saw her onion plant bloom after a period of patient waiting, we can also expect that in God’s time, we will see His great plans for our lives come to pass. We just need to be still and know He is in control.

Live it out:

What is something you’re waiting for that you need help being patient with? What are some ways you can practice being patient? This week, ask God to help you with the things you are having trouble being patient with.

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you that you see me and that you have plans for my life even when it feels like what I’m waiting for isn’t coming. Help me to be patient in times when I would like something immediately. I know that you hear my every prayer. Amen.