Do you dress in your Holy Spirit power clothes?
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| The Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Photo credit: Lawrence OP) |
The fourth fruit of the Spirit, or the fourth aspect of the Spirit’s work, is patience. Christians should not be impatient people. If the Spirit is active in their lives, they will become more and more patient. We have all seen impatient people who cannot seem to wait for anything. But in ordinary life, patience is not usually a difficult virtue to manifest.
In the face of suffering, however, patience becomes hard. When Job suffered, the temptation offered by his wife was “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). Job’s wife tempted him to commit suicide, so to speak, and thereby end his torment. When we hurt we are impatient for healing, and we need the special blessing of the Spirit to persevere despite the pain.
Galatians 5:22 probably has reference to patience with other people. Here again, it is when other people cause us to suffer, especially by slander, that we become impatient. We rightly desire vindication, and we are tempted to vindicate ourselves. Unless other people are suffering because of the slander, it is better to remain quiet and let God vindicate us because He can do it much better and more thoroughly (Romans 12:17–20).
Notice how much easier it is to be patient with people who have money or power. If we want to keep someone’s favor, the favor of someone powerful, we are long-suffering with their foibles. But let someone who is “inferior” to us get out of line, and we quickly lose our patience. True patience, however, is patient with those of lower station. Jesus tolerated all kinds of slander and nonsense from people, yet He showed great patience with them.
Spiritual fruit is also characterized by kindness. How would you like to be known as a kind person, a person who gives others the benefit of the doubt, a person who tries to look on the better side of people’s shortcomings? Since we are picky, we end up magnifying the faults of other people. We are quick to correct their grammar or theology, frequently to their embarrassment. We need the fruit of kindness, so that others may see that God’s Spirit is at work in us. Are you patient with those who are subordinate to you (children, employees, etc.). Are you as kind and sensitive to other people as you should be? Do you need to claim God’s patience and kindness by faith? Make an honest assessment.
