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Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and yet we gloss over it. We read Galatians 5, rattle off the nine godly attributes, close our Bibles, go about our days, and completely miss the mark. God divinely inspired this list of the fruits of the Spirit through the pen of the apostle Paul, not just to take up extra space in the letter to the Galatians but to make a point. To encourage and enable life-change and transformation.
When I read that list, I think God is trying to drive home a point: Christians shouldn’t just play defense, avoiding the bad stuff. They should also play offense, going after a goal. The Holy Spirit is our helper who helps us defend against sin, but He also enables us to play offense, going after the goal of producing godly characteristics in our lives.
This is where the fruits of the Spirit come in! And they’re all modeled after the life of—you guessed it—Jesus Christ, our ultimate example. It should come as no surprise that patience was one of the attributes God wanted us to practice and produce, because Jesus’ own life and example is completely characterized by patience.
Whether you’re talking about love, patience, or any of the other fruits of the Spirit, these qualities are meant to set us apart from the world—to demonstrate that we belong to God, to display His character. And patience is one of those especially noticeable defining characteristics in this age of hustle culture. Patience is not just something we do when we’re waiting for our order to be ready at Starbucks and running late for work. It’s not just something we do when we’re waiting to hear back about a new job or hoping for that engagement ring or waiting to hear if we got accepted into college.
The fruit of patience shows we are following God’s plan and timetable rather than our own. Patience is ultimately expressed through our surrendered heart, acknowledging that God alone holds and controls not only the universe but also our lives—and that even includes the timing of how things will play out.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my impatience, and please help me trust Your will and Your timing in all things. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Mayelana naloluHlelo
Our world pushes a seductive lie: you can achieve any goal through positive thinking, organization, and determination. But anyone who's tried to white-knuckle their way to self-fulfillment is only left with frustration, disappointment, and exhaustion. Inspired by Tara Sun's book, this plan shows that there’s a better way: surrender to the God who cares for us and has an infinitely better blueprint for a life filled with joy, peace, and meaning.
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