The Fruit Of The Spirit: The Fourth Fruit—Patience

By Pastor Shane Lems - Posted at The Heidelblog:

Published September 17, 2024

Whenever I go on multi-day hikes with friends, we have friendly arguments about candy bars. When you are in the middle of a long hike, you dream about food. So the arguments start. Which candy bar is number one? KitKat? Twix? 100Grand? I usually come back to Snickers. Snickers definitely is the best. When I get a Snickers, I cannot wait to eat it. It is hard to have patience! Speaking of patience, everyone knows what patience is. Even young kids can understand the concept. On the one hand, patience is the ability to wait for something. On the other hand, patience means remaining calm when something unpleasant happens. For example, if someone is bothering you, being patient means you will not quickly get upset or angry about it.

Some people are infamous for their impatience. In the late 1700s, there was an English ship called the HMS Bounty. Her captain, Mr. Bligh, was a well-known hothead. If someone on the crew made a mistake, Captain Bligh would absolutely flip out and cuss people up and down until his face was beet red. In fact, his crew secretly called Captain Bligh “the Volcano” because he had no patience for anything.

Patience is an important virtue in the Christian faith. It is a fruit of the Spirit that follows love, joy, and peace. Abraham patiently waited for the son God promised him (Heb 6:15). Many of the Old Testament prophets were extremely patient through their suffering (Jas 5:10). Biblical wisdom says that being patient is better than being powerful (Prov 16:32). Patience, like peace and joy, is a Christian disposition and characteristic that comes from the Spirit’s sanctifying work. Followers of Christ are called to be patient. Be slow to anger is how James put it (Jas 1:19). In Paul’s words, we are to clothe ourselves with patience (Col 3:12).

In a word, patience is a virtue the Holy Spirit produces in a Christian’s heart and mind, bearing fruit in the life of the believer. Christian patience means patience in all areas of life—from daily interactions with people to submitting to God’s providential plan. Patience is a God-glorifying virtue that makes life more pleasant for us and for others.

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