The Fruitful Life: Patience

Do you struggle with patience? I sure do. If there’s a spectrum with “perfect patience” somewhere in the middle, I keep hitting on both extremes of the spectrum. Sometimes, I wait entirely too long before I follow up with a request. “Oh, if only you asked last month!” Other times, I fall apart after waiting a few seconds for anything. “Hey, car! That green light means GOOOO!”

So, am I too patient or not patient enough? I think there’s a bigger issue here. The issue of timing. And the even bigger issue of control.

You see, I have in my mind the exact time any given event should occur. In reality, they happen too fast or too slowly. Or maybe, just maybe, I’m consulting the wrong timeline.

“But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand.” Psalm 31:14–15

Ah, yes. If I’m honest with myself, I have to acknowledge that timing isn’t up to me. This is not my timeline. The timeline of all things belongs to God.

This, of course, means that I am not in control. In my sin, I grow impatient with that reality. By grace, I begin to see the blessing behind this truth—the truth that my times, my life, and all things are not in my hand but in the hand of God.

And here, I think, we get closer to what patience truly is. Patience is a multifaceted word, and not all facets have to do with timing. They all, however, have to do with control.

So, no. I am not patient when I’m trying to call the shots, no matter what timing that might entail. Okay, then, when am I patient? Better said, what does patient look like?

Like all the fruit of the Spirit, patience is a gift given to us by God. As we are God’s children, grafted into the Vine, we can’t help but bear fruit; it is a blessed symptom of having the Spirit live within us. And so, it goes without saying, that we turn to God and His Word to learn what true patience is. Here are a few facets that we see.

Patience in Trial

“If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.” 2 Corinthians 1:6

We’ve all felt our fair share of trouble lately. With so many questions that surround a pandemic, timing seems to be one of the most debated issues! I dare say that this is because we’re all fighting for control at a time when we feel powerless. But you know what? Feeling powerless is a valuable tool. Paul, the writer of 2 Corinthians, knows this. James did too. James’ epistle talks often of being patient and even grateful during terrible times. By the Holy Spirit, they learned that waiting through hard times can teach us that we are not in control. We learn to trust our Lord and to see how even difficult times can discipline and fashion us to be more like Christ. 

Ask yourself this question: “What lesson(s) have I learned during this recent time of hardship?”

Patience in Service

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

Serving others requires a great deal of patience. First, you relinquish control altogether to help someone else. Second, you humble yourself to know and understand others better. Third, service rarely ever goes as you plan. Think of the project that took a turn out of nowhere. Think of the family who didn’t really need the help you wanted to provide. Think of the details that fell through on your carefully crafted checklist. Were people still served? Perhaps, those were the times when service was the most genuine and meaningful. 

Ask yourself this question: “How would patience help me serve others better?”

Patience in Hope

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

We are people of promise. God makes promises, and He keeps His promises. He promised a Savior. And at the right time, our Savior came. Our Savior promises to return. And at the right time, He will.

When is the right time? The Early Church kept asking this question. When would Jesus return? Two thousand years later, we are still waiting. But we do so with hope! Not with a wishy-washy, half-hearted hope. Our hope is confident in our promise-keeping God. In patience, we realize that our hope rests in His timing and His patience. He wants all people to hear of His saving Word. 

Ask yourself this question: “How am I both patient and bold in the hope I have in my Savior?”

Patience in Love

This portion could be its own article. But let’s jump right to it and consult Love Himself, for God is love.

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

God, who is love, sent His Son. He was patient in trial and even death in service to us, to give us the hope we have in Him, because He loves us. God is in control and has every right to call the shots, the timing, and all that comes with it. But the Spirit of God is one of patience, and so the fruit that comes out of His people will manifest in patience too.

Have you heard the joke before? “Don’t pray for patience! You never know how God will give it to you!” The implication is that God will likely use troubling or frustrating situations to nurture patience in those who ask for it. Maybe.

What we do know is this: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). In other words, no matter what happens to us in our lives—good or bad—God will use those moments to bear His fruit in us.

As I wrap up this article, I am sipping from a teacup. I never drink from teacups. I never think to take the time to select one from the display shelf, rinse it, and pour a few ounces in it to enjoy. Today, it’s serving as a reminder for me that when we are in times of waiting, we are provided with opportunities to notice the simple and quiet blessings we tend to ignore.

One more question: “During a time of waiting in your life, what did you learn about God’s love for you?”

“We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:2–5