Galatians 5:22-23
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
“‘Patience’ implies suffering, enduring or waiting, as a determination of the will and not simply under necessity. … We need to "wait patiently" for God, to endure uncomplainingly the various forms of sufferings, wrongs and evils that we meet with, and to bear patiently injustices that we cannot remedy and provocations we cannot remove.”
“Patience is often hard to gain and to maintain, but, in Romans 15:5, God is called ‘the God of patience’ as being able to grant that grace to those who look to Him and depend on Him for it. It is a reliance on God and acceptance of His will, with trust in His goodness, wisdom and faithfulness, that we are enabled to endure and to hope steadfastly.” (1)
God knows what we need and exactly when we need it regardless of what it is. Patience and peace should go hand in hand. Having patience can be a battle in and of itself, but it doesn’t have to be a battle that we lose. It’s an acquired character trait. I find that I have become a lot more patient and as a result much more at peace. I believe that comes from my belief and trust that God is in control. If he is not than something or someone is greater that he is and I refuse to believe that. I believe all things happen for a specific reason and that it all ties in with God’s perfect will for my life. It has nothing to do with material possessions, but rather spiritual attributes and behavioral characteristics. This can be the case for any one of us, but it requires us to be ALL IN when it comes to our relationship with Almighty God. Nothing can happen to a believer that God doesn’t either cause or allow for a very specific purpose.
The thing we simply MUST understand and accept as fact is that GOD HAS THE FINAL WORD regarding anything and everything that takes place on this earth. He created it and is master over it. The enemy is NOT more powerful than God. They have been allowed by God to rule over this earth for a time, but nothing takes place without Almighty God sanctioning it. We must have supernatural patience, the kind that comes from God alone. We must remain patient and at peace while the fires rage all around us.
Patience is an act of our will. If we truly believe that God IS all scripture declares Him to be, then what do we have to be concerned about. Oh, make no mistake, being human, and being emotional creatures as a result, presents a challenge to achieving a spirit of patience, but it is most definitely attainable. It depends on what our focus is on. If it is on the calamitous events taking place around the globe and in our own country, then we will become fearful. But focus your sights on the Almighty and things will be much different.
They say, “Patience is a virtue*.” [2] While scripture tells us in Jesus own words that no one is good except God, our acquired patience reflects a Godly quality that is morally excellent and good. To have patience exhibits our assimilating the high character qualities of Jesus. Matthew 19:26 (AMP) reveals to us the following: “Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God”.” Never doubt or short change in your own mind God’s ability to do what seems impossible. There is NOTHING He cannot do. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
Next time we will take a look at kindness. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
[1]. https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/patience
* Moral excellence and righteousness; goodness.
[2] The expression 'patience is a virtue' originates from the 3rd century. The term's first appearance is in 'The Distichs of Cato,' referred to as 'Cato to the Elder.' The phrase appears as the following: "Of human virtues, patience is most great."
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