Galatians 5.22-23“Now the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control …”
The next fruit of the Spirit is patience. Patience is the Greek makrothumia. It is the willingness to endure and face difficult people and challenging circumstances without blowing up with frustration or striking out in anger. It is also the willingness to persevere and do what needs to be done as long as it takes. There will be people who irritate you. There will be situations that frustrate you. There will be plans and projects that take a long time and a lot of effort to achieve. The Spirit says be patient.
When we studied the book of James we looked closely at patience. “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord,” it says in James 5. “See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Three times in this passage James tells us to be patient. Patience is a critical attribute for pursuing and achieving any goal. This is because God has designed a world where everything takes time and process. In order to be successful in anything, you must have the perseverance to execute the process that is necessary for the time that is required. James uses the farmer as an example, because the farmer is disciplined about working the process while at the same time waiting patiently for nature to bring the rain that is necessary to water the crops. A successful farmer follows the Law of Perseverance: Work the process that is necessary for the time that is required, and solve problems along the way.
Impatience diminishes our perseverance, and it happens when we complain about working the process, or get frustrated about the time that is required, or get irritated at the obstacles we have to deal with. And therein lies the problem, because you can’t cheat the necessary process, nor can you cheat the time that is required. In some situations it is possible to use strategies to streamline the process or techniques to accelerate the time, but the Law of Perseverance still applies. There is always a process that is necessary and a time that is required.
In any area of your life where you need perseverance, it is your responsibility to understand the process and the time required, and then do the work. For as long as it takes. Without complaining. That is patience and perseverance. It is a fruit of the Spirit.
“As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8.15)
“Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.” (2 Thess 1.4)
