Presented by Lisa Bishop

Have you ever lost your cool or reacted in a way you later regretted?

We’re examining patience—that all too important fruit of the spirit we can often bypass and find difficult to practice in our daily interactions. Yet, as followers of Jesus, patience is not optional.

If you were to reflect on the past 48-72 hours, can you identify moments where your patience was lacking? It can be tempting to get frustrated with a coworker or fly off the handle with a family member or spouse. But when you are tempted to have the flesh response of a quick temper or being easily irritated, you can look to the words of the Apostle Paul to redirect you and ground you in your identity. And your identity informs your propensity toward patience.Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:12-13).As a chosen son or daughter that God loves, you are called to clothe yourself in Christ-like characteristics. I think we often spend more time planning and preparing our wardrobe for the day, and we don’t give much intentional thought about putting on attitudes and behaviors that put the glory of God on display. Now don’t get me wrong, living out these Christ-like qualities is not easy. Patience does not develop overnight. Yet, Colossians gives us clues on how to develop patience. When you have the mind of Christ, merciful, kind, humble, and gentle, you position yourself for patience. When you make allowances for people’s faults, as you would like others to do for you, you find yourself less testy. I think a lack of patience can kick in when things are not going the way we want, or someone is not conforming to our preferences.

When we are not humble, we become easily offended and reactive holding onto minor offenses or irritations that build and then impatience becomes our default.

When and with whom do you find yourself lacking patience? To truly transform you will need to be proactive. Rather than getting wrapped up in the same old reaction, decide now how you will respond with patience. As you break the habit of being easily aggravated, ask the Holy Spirit to help you but also be determined to clothe yourself in patience rather than losing your cool.