Patience is a very important virtue and is one of the nine fruits of the Spirit as listed by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. There are no two opinions that we as Christians should be patient. But not much is said in the Bible about it.
Patience can be defined as waiting for something to materialize without grumbling. So why is patience a virtue? And why is patience so difficult?
Patience Is a Virtue
Patience may not seem like a big deal to most Christians because most of the time we don’t have to wait for things in these modern times. It’s no big deal to wait for a friend while watching TV or browsing on the internet. For patience to be called as a virtue there needs to be some deal of suffering or pain attached to it.
So to be patient is to endure pain and suffering without complaining and is accompanied by humility, and generosity. The life of Jesus Christ is an excellent example of patience. He was very patient with his disciples, as they were thickheaded, lazy, and lacked trust. We can understand how frustrated Jesus may have felt at times with them, from a human view. He never once lost His patience with them and never made fun of their foolishness.
God’s Patience with Israel
How much more irritating it must be for God to deal daily with men. In spite of Him speaking through Moses and appearing before them as a pillar of cloud and smoke, the Israelites were full of mistrust and always doubted Him. They always focused on their current situation and not on the promised land that the Lord was taking them to. But He never lost patience with them and to date, God is in the business of winning souls and bringing the lost back to Him.
Be Patient
Today as never before we are called to be patient at home in a lockdown tat we have never experienced before. Business owners and workers are expected to work from home and children are also not allowed to go to school which adds up to all the frustration. We are called to be patient and wait for the Lord to heal the land and bring everything back to normal one day. We don’t know when that day will come but we know that God is in perfect control and that all we need to do is be patient and wait for the hand of God to move. Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
