All of my life, I’ve heard people say we should not pray for patience, because God will make you go through difficult situations to obtain patience.

But let’s remember that the fruit of the Spirit is about a life that is changed and transformed by the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is the outer evidence of a changed inner life. 

Each one of the fruit of the Spirit reflects the character of Jesus. This is our goal…to be like Jesus. So, whatever it takes for you and I to reflect the character of Christ…that is a good thing!

The Bible teaches us that God is patient. One of the verses I love is…

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” (Psalm 145:8)

In the book of Genesis, God gave the people of the world 120 years to repent before he sent the flood.  Think about it. Noah’s neighbors spent twelve decades watching the ark be built and hearing him preach, calling for their repentance, before God sent the waters to cover the earth.

But while God is patient, we are often not patient. It’s human nature to be impatient. We aren’t naturally wired to be patient. We’re more likely to be selfish. 

When you were a baby and you woke up in the middle of the night in your crib. You woke up hungry. You didn’t lie there thinking, “I know Mom and Dad are tired. So I’ll just wait until the morning to let them know I need something to eat. No, you wanted to be fed and you wanted it now.

We grow up with this mentality. We want everything to be quick. We don’t like waiting and we get frustrated when we have to. 

The Bible has a lot to say about patience.

“Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.” (Proverbs 16:32 NLT)

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)

Definition: Patience is the ability to accept delay or disappointment graciously. Patience is calm endurance under pressure, knowing that God is in control.

Our default reaction to delay and disappointment is frustration. We often respond with anger. Patience is the ability to allow God’s grace to control our personality so we can respond like God. 

When we think of our need for patience, we tend to think of traffic, slow wifi, grocery store lines, and how long it took to get a table at our favorite restaurant. It’s true that do need the help of the Holy Spirit when we are faced with delay, but there is another place that we desperately need patience.

We need patience when dealing with the imperfections of others.

We are often quick to get irritated with people who don’t act or do things the way we think they should. We get frustrated when people don’t meet our expectations. Somehow we seem to feel we are smarter and more capable than those we criticize.

The first place where we need patience with others is in our homes. We must learn to celebrate differences rather than condemn them. We must learn to set aside the arrogance that seems to feel that if someone does not do things the way I do, they are wrong, and I am right.

As I think about this, I remember how patient God has been with me! Aren’t you grateful God has been patient with you?

Today’s Challenge: In a fast-paced world, we seldom take time to slow down and enjoy the presence of God. Remember this… God is not in a hurry. Let’s slow down, learn to rest, and decide to trust God and his timing.