Patience - June 12 2007

Yesterday we looked at what we should try and remove from our lives in our desire to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. Today we will start to look at some of the things that we might try to take up.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. Galatians 5:22

Rather than waiting for the fruits of the spirit to appear in our lives as we are transformed, we can be more active in encouraging them along.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8

In our western society we don’t tend to do patience particularly well. We are used to getting things done on our terms, in our time; we are used to being in control. We become impatient when things don’t happen as we’d like; often that’s where we are not in control of the situation; and often it involves waiting. In Malawi recently I had plenty of opportunity to learn to be more patient. Waiting is much more a part of life there.

There are two responses to those situations; patience, or becoming more agitated, irate, hot under the collar, angry; generally becoming more unpleasant, acting more unpleasantly, making ourselves feel worse, making those around us feel worse; usually without having any effect on the situation that we faced at the outset.

When we are angry and upset in those situations we then say and do things that we know are not of God and which we regret.

Each of us knows how well we do patience, and which things (and people) particularly try our patience. When we next hit a trigger point where patience is required don’t just try and count to 10, but offer up a prayer; ‘Lord help me now, teach me patience’; look for God in that situation and live for that moment not for what you think you have to rush to get on with. Come away rested and not flustered with a list of apologies that then have to be made.

And we urge you brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14

Amen