The Fruit of the Spirit Is...Patience

Patience is a virtue. Lucky for me, it is a learned skill. By nature, we are not patient people. We often react with impatience out of frustration, anger, or tiredness. Generally, our family (significant other/children/parents) get the brunt of our impatient nature.

Ironically, patience is rooted in the Latin word for receive. And by being patient, we will receive the reward of harmony. In the Biblical sense, patience means to delay judgement. By taking a deep breath and not reacting quickly, we are allowing God to show us a better option for response.

Common examples of every day impatience were shared within our prayer group. Road rage. Grocery lines. Snapping at our children. Yapping at our spouses. Becoming irritated with our parents.

Through our discussion, we were able to talk out possible solutions to these impatient impulses. In life, we seem to always be in such a hurry to get things done (maybe we should all move to Europe because they seem to be able to take it nice and slow). And we play the waiting game all too often. But if we could force ourselves to slow down, take a few deep breaths here and there, and remember to not take things so personal, we just might overcome our impatient ways.

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles; They shall run and not be weary; They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31