THE VIRTUE OF PATIENCE

Good morning! Good morning!

It's a new day in the neighborhood!

Sometimes when I start out I say some really weird things so just bear with me. I guess maybe I am excited about what God is going to say through me. Believe me it is God, not me. Well, accept maybe some of the weird stuff I say. That might not be God. But He does have a sense of humor so maybe it is Him. 

Our next fruit of the Spirit is patience!''

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, 

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-

control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 

 

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, 

and patience is better than pride.

Ecclesiastes 7:8

 

Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious 

might so that you may have great endurance and patience,

Colossians 1:11

Patience! Do we really exude patience or do we just practice it? If we are just practicing patience, are we ever going to get it right? Patience means forbearance, long-suffering, sufferance, tolerance in the Merriam-Webster's dictionary. In the Holman Bible Dictionary it says an active endurance of opposition, not a passive resignation. Patience and patient are used to translate several Hebrew and Greek words. Patience is endurance, steadfastness, longsuffering, and forbearance.

 

So, do we suffer long or forbear or endure things in order to be patient? I think patience is a choice but it seems as though people tend to let their emotions take hold and don't think first and therefore show impatience about things.

One of my impatient moments is in the car. If the speed limit is 55, then everyone should be driving 55, right? Well, it is the speed limit which means you are not supposed to go faster than that but there is no minimum posted so actually you can drive whatever you want under the speed limit, right? If it is safe. Well, when someone is driving 40 in a 55, it drives me crazy. They do have a right to drive slow but I do get a bit impatient, thinking they shouldn't be on the road if they can't do the limit. I have things to do, places to go, and people to see, and I can't do this slow. Actually, there is a danger point to the slow driver. Usually in a 55 zone, if you are doing 40, it can be dangerous going that slow. 

 

But my point is, I shouldn't be that way. I should just go around if I can safely do so and go on my way. But on a country road which is most of my driving, when someone is going slow, you usually can't pass because there are no passing lanes. That is really when I get upset. And the law says that if there are 5 cars behind you, you should pull over and let the cars pass. That is common courtesy. Anyway, see me on my soapbox. But I am not as bad as those who have road rage.

 

Sorry about that! Lord, forgive me. But the point I am making is that we probably all have our soapboxes that we stand on daily or maybe only sometimes. If you never, ever get impatient then obviously you are a saint. We live in a world of evils and sins with family and friends and people we don't know. We are definitely not perfect and certainly not patient. We try to be patient but I fail that test. I am working on it. There is nothing in the world that we really should get impatient about. Nothing is worth raising our blood pressure about, is there? 

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly 

loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, 

kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, 

the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display 

his immense patience as an example for those who 

would believe in him and receive eternal life.

1 Timothy 1:16

 

Christ showed mercy for us in that He has patience with us even when we are impatient with others. He loves us anyway but wants us to work on it, to clothe ourselves with patience and the other virtues. Patience is a virtue. There are some people who are so patient. You can see it in there countenance, and their actions. I want to be like that.  I don't want to be impatient. I want to be like Christ. The Bible says that we are supposed to be like Him. Well, it is hard to be like Him and it is hard to be a patient person. But let that be one of our so-called resolutions: to be like Christ, be patient, and filled with the Fruit of the Spirit.

Let's work on that and start today: being like Christ. He loves us enough to show mercy on us. Let's show mercy on others.

Have a great day!

Les