Patience Is...

Patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that enables us to persevere under pressure. Patience maintains the virtues of love, joy, and peace when faced with the pressures of wrong, mistreatment, or taxation. When pressed, patience does not retaliate but rather addresses the underlying motivations of the soul. By His fruit of patience, the Holy Spirit moves us to look to Jesus for strength, giving the ability to forbear in circumstances that would otherwise deplete our resolve.

BIBLE TRUTH
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Col. 3:12–13 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
The clothes we are to put on are tailor-made to fit our lives by the Spirit. Dressed in His power we are divinely enabled to accomplish the task He asks us to undertake. We cannot create our own style of patience; instead we are to put on His personally designed and custom-fitted attire. The royal garments of the King identify our position of servitude apart from personal ambition. We exhibit patience because He empowers us to do so, not because we have created it ourselves for our purpose. If you find yourself experiencing the symptom of frustration, consider what means of control you are employing to counterfeit God’s fruit of patience.

PRAYER
Lord, I need Your help to be humble and gentle. I need the fruit of Your Spirit to enable me to be patient with others, allowing for their faults because of my love for them that comes from You. Guide me in making every effort to keep us united in Your Spirit as we bind ourselves together in peace. (Eph. 4:2–3)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)


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