God's Holy Spirit Bearing Fruit - Patience
Bearing Fruit - Patience
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Patience is a virtue they say, but how many of us really exercise patience? You see it everyday in our fast paced society, people just don’t have patience. On the roads people drive impatiently. We are also very intolerant of each other. We lose patience with our neighbours which sometimes lead to violence. We even lose patience with our children which lead to child abuse and neglect.But the bible teaches that we must be patient. Patient by waiting on our Lord to come as he promised:“Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rain in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.” James 5:7-8.And patient with our fellow man:
“Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowances for each other’s faults because of your love.” Ephesians 4:2
The bible also tells us that if we endure or be patient during our trials and difficulties, this will help us to build character and be able to handle any situation.
“Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.” James 1:2-4
To endure means ‘to last’ or to ‘go through’. The King James Version renders the translation as ‘longsuffering’, which basically is what being patient is all about – suffering for long periods.The more patience we have, the simpler our lives become.So how can we be more patient? Well, the bible tells us that God’s Holy Spirit can help us bear good fruit of which patience is a part.
“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”. Galatians 5:22-23
To receive the Holy Spirit we must repent of our sins and be baptized. (Acts 2:38).
The Holy Spirit controls our life so we can lead it in a way that a true Christian ought to live. A life full of compassion, love and patience for each another, and faithfulness and righteousness to God.
Exercise patience and show yourself a true servant of the living God.
