Patience is defined as 'the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.' What this means is that a person can easily "wait" or go through difficulties or hardship, but without actually being patient. Being at peace whilst we wait or suffer is not something we can fake... either we are patient or we're not, and the Lord knows this. When He causes us to wait it is not because He's mean or doesn't want to fulfil His promises to us, but it's because He is more concerned with what's going on inside of us. He wants us to be fruitful and what is that fruit?
That fruit is love.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23) Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NLT)
Love is Who God is. When we receive Christ we receive the seed of God. We are a new creation and our spirit is perfectly one with His. On the other hand, our soul (mind, will and emotions) is still in the process of transformation.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)
Our soul is transformed the more we renew our mind. The more we choose to obey God and allow the Spirit to lead (as opposed to our flesh) the more we will see the manifestation of God's character of love working through us. If you think of your spirit as the seed — everything of God is in that seed. However, for what is in the seed to be manifested it must grow above the soil and produce fruit.
Our hearts are the soil. When we water the seed, with the water of the word of God, that seed grows and breaks through the soil of our hearts and begins to manifest in our lives. Everything goes through our will (heart). That's why we must renew our mind, because if we don't know what the will of God is, we won't want to do it. As we renew our minds we also water the seed of God in us. That seed can only grow above the ground if our heart (will) is in line with God's will. When it is, that's when we will see obedience manifested and fruit produced. This cycle requires time... it requires patience. Every farmer knows their crops do not spring up over night, it takes time for them to be ready and this is the same in the spirit.
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1: 2-4)
Trials and tribulations cause us to have to exercise patience, endurance and perseverance. As we trust God during these difficult times and choose to remain at peace and believe He is faithful, patience is working... I.e. The seed in us is growing and breaking through into our lives.
The scripture above tells us that there is a "perfect work" that patience accomplishes, if we will "let" it (it's a choice). The Father wants to bring us to a place where we are MATURE; where we are FRUITFUL; where we are WHOLE. This process takes time and that's why many believers quit before it is completed. It is hard to abide, hard to actually be patient if you don't know WHO God is, or really believe He is Who He says He is.
The perfect work of patience is really that you come to KNOW and EXPERIENCE GOD. For He is Love and He is Patience. If all you want to do is get out of your place of waiting, or get out of your difficult trial you can all too easily miss the One Who is right there with You.
For me, the product of patience is a deeper revelation of HIM. When we realise this, that is when everything changes and when we can truly "count it all joy". For if we have Him then the truth is... we lack no good thing.
Selah xXx
Comments