Fruit of the Spirit (Part 4) Patience
Patience
As we come to the fourth fruit of the spirit, I know that many of us really struggle with this one. Many of us are so wired for action we get frustrated with how slow things move sometimes. Whether we realize it or not, many of our sins are linked to a lack of patience.
As you study the fruit of the Spirit, it doesn’t take long before you realize that they are all connected. If you have love, peace, and some self control can be more patient. And patience is a necessary prerequisite for attaining a peace filled spirit. Likewise, all these fruits stem from a humble and loving heart.
Here’s a definition that seems to capture the biblical meaning: “Patience is a calm endurance based on the certainty that God is in control.” Patience is not necessarily the ability to wait, rather it’s how you act while you are waiting. And if you really trust God while you wait, you can even enjoy life while God is working on or solving your problem. What it comes down to is, trusting God so much that we don’t have to know all the answers and why this or that is not happening… we just trust Him to work it out. Proverbs 3:6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Whether you realize it or not, we are not in control, God is. But it’s not easy to be patient, is it?
There are at least 2 reasons why being patient is so difficult & rare today.
1. It goes against our human, fleshly nature. From the moment we’re born we want things taken care of right away. When a baby wakes up in the middle of the night and is hungry, it doesn’t lie there and think, “I know mom and dad are tired so I’ll just wait until breakfast time.” No, the baby cries impatiently until it receives the attention it demands. Many of us haven’t changed much from those days.
#2. It is also contrary to our culture. Those of you who have traveled to other countries recognize that Americans are wound pretty tight. Some of us can’t even take a day off to just to rest once a week like God commanded His people in the Old Testament, to remember the Sabbath. In Ex. 20:9 God said 6 days you shall labor and do your work, but on the 7th day we should not work.
In Psalm 130:1 & 5-6 the psalmist wrote: “From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Then in Verse 5 he writes 5 I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. 6 I long for the Lordmore than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.
While in the midst of waiting, the psalmist found hope in God and His word. When we put our hope in the Word of God, it encourages us and helps the fruit of patience ripen in our lives. Practically speaking, we develop patience when we believe and claim the promises of God seen in the Bible. So, when you feel like giving up, or when you feel yourself wanting to take things into your own hands, turn to the Scripture. Read it. Memorize it. Write out a verse and meditate on it. Paul wrote to the Romans in 15:4: “the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.”
In vs. 6 the psalmist also said that he was able to wait for the Lord more than the “watchmen (or sentries)” waits for the morning. In biblical times, watchmen vigilantly guarded the city during the night, looking for enemies who might attack. They were ‘on guard’, alert and obedient as they eagerly waited for the morning, because that’s when they could relax and get some sleep. A watchman couldn’t control the rising of the sun. He couldn’t speed up the night, so he just faithfully did his job.. He knew the difference between his job and God’s job. It may be difficult to wait for the Lord, but its worse when we try to take thing in our own hand and wish you hadn’t. (Remember Abraham?)
Patience is a complex word in the Bible. When Miles Coverdale translated the Bible into English in 1535 he had to invent the word ‘longsuffering’ to describe the Greek phrase found in Galatians 5:22. It was such a good rendering that the translators of the King James Version used the same word in 1611. A patient person has the ability to suffer for a long time and wait it out. Proverbs 14:9 says that, “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.”
It’s wise to be patient but it’s foolish to be hot tempered. The Greek word for patience also implies slow to get angry, or to have a long fuse and a short memory. It also implies “wrath that is put far away.” If we walk in the Spirit and the Spirit controls us, fits of anger and rage will be pushed away. Patient people are hard to provoke. They can absorb, or put up with a lot before they “lose it.”
Fruits of the Spirit are not only a gift from God, they are also something we do. As I mentioned in an earlier lesson, I believe that we are preprogrammed with many of God’s attributes and abilities before we are even born. When a Christian makes a choice to keep in step with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit help the Christian grow and mature and become more God-like in these abilities.
But these Christ-like character qualities won’t grow and develop in us unless we make some important choices and deny self of what we want to happen and deny our self of what we think should happen, and what we feel should happen and put aside our time table, when we think what we want should take place. And what if the flesh doesn’t get it’s own way? It gets angry, and fumes, and sometimes even lashes out or pout like a baby.
Here are some things that you can do to help you develop your patience:
#1. Realize that there are going to be times when you are just going to have to wait (wait on God and wait on people). In Vines Dictionary of the Bible it says that this fruit of the Spirit can only grow and develop in times of trial. You have to practice being patient to become a more patient person. So I say, prepare you self mentally beforehand. This takes a lot of anxiety out of waiting. Realize that God has His own plan and there is a purpose for making you wait. It may be to align certain events up just right, and yes it may even be to groom or prepare you in the process.
Consider Moses and Joseph, those men had to wait years before God answered their prayer. Don’t you think that Joseph prayed over and over, and shed a few tears, and maybe even got a little depressed at times as he waited for God to do something? God was not only arranging events in his favor behind the scene, He was grooming and preparing him for what the future held for him. So I say, expect that there is going to be times when you have to wait and rather than getting upset and frustrated choose to make the best of that time…even in small ways. For example, every time I go to a Doctor’s office or go to get my car worked on I take a book, a pen and paper and do some work. I actually prepared some of my best sermons in a waiting room.
#2. Another thing that helps is to look at annoying people through the eyes of Jesus. Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
If you change your view or perspective many times that will help. You don’t know what’s going on in another person’s life that making you wait.
A train was filled with tired people. Most of them had spent the day traveling through the hot dusty plains and at last evening had come and they all tried to settle down for a good night’s sleep. However, at one end of the car a man was holding a tiny baby and as night came on the baby became restless and started screaming at the top of its lungs. Unable to take it any longer, a big brawny man spoke for the rest of the group. “Why don’t you take that baby to its mother?”
There was a pause and then came the reply. “I’m sorry. I’m doin’ my best. The baby’s mother is in the casket in the baggage car in front of us.” There was an awkward silence for a couple minutes. Then the big man who asked the cruel question got out of his seat and moved toward the man with the motherless child. He apologized for his impatience and insensitivity. He took the tiny baby in his own arms and told the tired father to get some sleep. Then in loving patience he cared for the little baby all through the night.
We’d be much less impatient and much more tolerant if we decided to treat others like Jesus would if He was in our place
#3. Decide to spend some quality time with patient people. Proverbs 22:24-25 says: “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.”
If we can learn how to be angry by hanging out with angry people, then why can’t we can learn patience by spending time with those who are long-suffering and gentle.
An author for Reader’s Digest wrote about how he studied Amish people in preparation for an article about them. In his observation at the schoolyard, he noted that the children never screamed or yelled. This amazed him. He asked the principal why Amish kids don’t seem to get angry. The principal replied, “Well, have you ever heard an Amish adult yell?”
James 5:7-11 says: 7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
One way to spend time with patient people and further develop patience is to read about those in scripture who had to wait on the Lord and what He promised them. Learn from their examples. In doing so you will see God’s faithfulness, and learn to trust Him even more as you wait for your answer or your deliverance.
#4. Learn to Release your anger appropriately. Ephesians 4:26 says, “In your anger do not sin.” That means that there are right ways and wrong ways to process frustrations and anger. It’s possible to be angry and not sin. Remember a sinful fleshly response lets you know that you are NOT walking in the Spirit
When you’re angry, admit it to yourself, own up to it before God, and then confess it to the person you’re mad at. Meet with the person and gently say something like this, “I’m hurt and feel myself getting a bit frustrated and angry but I care enough about our relationship to deal with the issues that are bothering me.” The best time to put a fire out is when it starts and still small.
#5. Learn to trust more and rely on God and His timing, and His help. We say that we trust God but what do our actions truly reveal? Patience is at the very heart of God’s own nature. Psalm 145:8: “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.”
In 2 Peter 3:15. Peter told those early Christian that God has not destroyed this evil world already because He is patient not wanting anyone to be lost.
Galatians 5:16 challenges us saying, “Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Determine to ‘stay with Him and move at His pace’. Put patience into practice at every opportunity..
An African woman had become increasingly impatient with her husband. Married life was a strain because she kept blowing up at her spouse. She went to the doctor and asked him for some help. He told her that she must first gather the basic ingredients for such a powerful medicine. The first thing he needed was three hairs from the mane of a live lion.
The lady left wondering how in the world she was going to get close enough to a lion to get three hairs. She decided to take her largest goat and tie it to a tree, hoping to tempt the lion. Sure enough, the lion came and took the goat. The next day she tied another goat to the tree, and the process went on for several weeks until she had sacrificed her entire flock as bait. Each day she managed to get closer to the lion and on the final day managed to talk to him. “I’m sorry to trouble you, but I wonder if I could have three hairs from your mane?” The lion smiled and said, “Of course, take what you wish. After all, I’ve enjoyed your goats.”
The next day the lady triumphantly took the ingredients to the doctor. The doctor turned to her and said, “You must have been extremely patient to get these hairs from the mane of a live lion. Now go home and put the same amount of patience into your marriage!”
Let’s go home and practice patience today and everyday to the best of our ability. And ask the Spirit to help you when you feel weak and this fruit will grow and ripen in you as each day passes!
(Based on a sermon by Brian Bill)
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