Monday, October 7, 2024
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love... Ephesians 4:1-2
The Fruit of Patience
It has been said that people will remember how we make them feel more than they will remember what we say. It is true, just as is another saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” We can say we are Christians all day but if we never act different or never have any fruit in our lives, no one will believe us. Worse, if we act in a very un-Christian way, they may see all Christians as people who say one thing but do another. The world expects us to not act like humans, and we expect the world to not act like they are lost.
The times our patience is tested will be some of the most crucial times for us to show Jesus to everyone around us. When we feel frustrated because we have to wait, or our order is incorrect, or traffic is backed up, others will expect us to act out in frustration. And when we do exactly what they expect, they quickly judge us and the body of Christ as a whole. But we are human and sometimes we will react in human ways.
How can we react more like Jesus and less like humans? As we grow in our relationship with Him, we will be transformed. As we learn to live and love like Him, we will have fruit in our lives. The world around us will see that we live differently, and we will glorify Him with our whole lives – every action, deed, or word – in all things, at all times. As His children we represent Him and the body of Christ. We will want to show Jesus to the rest of the world but when we are frustrated or impatient or angry and don’t feel like responding like Jesus, we will have the help of the Holy Spirit. It is impossible in our own strength for us to respond like Christ. The more time we spend with Him, studying His word, praying and abiding in Him, the easier it will be for our first response to reflect Him. What we fill ourselves up with will come out, sometimes without warning.
Showing patience is where the rubber meets the road. The first three fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, and peace, flow into the fruit of patience. Love, joy, and peace are evident in our lives, but they take place in our hearts. When we show patience through the Holy Spirit, at a time when we could easily react in the flesh, we look and act more like Jesus. The more we grow in Him, the more we can fight our natural response of impatience which leads to stress, anger, and frustration.
Are you walking with the Lord and being transformed by Him? Is there someone or some situation in your life where you need more patience? He is working on the fruit of patience in your life. Lean into Him and trust Him. Ask Him to give you the patience you need to handle these situations in the best way to glorify Him.
