ICS Daily Devotions
God Is Patient with Us

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Because we live in a fast-paced society, the fruit of the Holy Spirit of longsuffering (patience), kindness, gentleness and self-control can be a challenge to us, but praise God that with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we can make them evident in our lives.

Every fruit of the Holy Spirit describes to us the nature and the character of God. Therefore, the measure of one’s spirituality is based on the fruit of the Holy Spirit manifested in us especially when our flesh wants to dominate in reaction to what we are experiencing.

Patience in the Bible literally means long-temper (as opposed to “short-tempered”), a long holding out of the mind before it gives room to action or passion. It describes a state of emotional calm or quietness in the face of provocation, misfortune or unfavourable circumstances.

Romans 2:4 (NKJV) Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

God desires all men to be saved. Therefore, He is very patient with us despite our provocation and rebellion towards Him when we were walking in the world influenced by the prince of the power of the air. He had given many of us numerous opportunities to receive Christ, but He endured our nonsense, and patiently waited for us to receive Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

Some of us might be discouraged or frustrated that those we have shared the Gospel with have yet to receive Christ, but we need to remember that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict, and because God is patient with them, let us also be patient with them, and not be deterred from sharing the Gospel.

We live in a culture of instant gratification and impatience. Technology and the convenience that it brought, living in a fast-paced society that stresses efficiency and productivity have all contributed to making us more impatient, but if God has been so gracious and patient with us, we should also be patient with our loved ones who are taking a long time to change in their character.

Statistically, there are more women in church than men, and the women may be hungrier for spiritual things than men. Therefore, driven by their impatience, the wives may become critical and in turn condemn their husbands when they don’t seem to measure up to what a Christian should be, or if they have not received Christ as their Lord and Saviour, but it can be counter-productive and even push them away from God and the church. We need to remember that Jesus died for the ungodly and the Heavenly Father waited for everyone to decide in their own time to receive Christ, so let’s be patient like He is.

Sermon Series: Fruit of the Holy Spirit – Patience, Kindness, Goodness and Gentleness