Patience is hard, especially in today’s world. We have access to information, media, technology, clothing, and even food at our fingertips. Unlike our ancestors, we can have everything we want exactly when we want it. Because of this, we tend to collectively struggle with patience.
When our phones freeze for a moment and interrupt our social media scroll, we feel that familiar ache of frustration. Sitting at a red light or waiting in traffic becomes more and more challenging as the years go by. Similarly, we experience a powerful sense of anticipation after placing an online order, and an even more powerful feeling of anxiety upon receiving that dreaded notification that it has been delayed.
Yet, we know that the Bible prioritizes patience. Even more, we know that having patience is a sign that the Holy Spirit has indwelt us. However, there is an obvious disconnect. How do we cultivate the spiritual fruit of patience when our society has made it so difficult to do so?
Thankfully, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and he has given us the same Spirit he gave to the apostles and the Church fathers and mothers. In order to cultivate the spiritual fruit of patience we need a fresh understanding of its biblical meaning, a willingness to be uncomfortable, and a deep sense of reliance on the Holy Spirit.
A Biblical Understanding of Patience
Biblical truth is our foundation for Christian living. If we want to become patient people, we need to cultivate it from a biblical rather than a worldly point of view. We learn patience through the character of God and Christ, and through the examples of the people who came before us in the faith.
Patience is about being slow to get angry.
In Exodus 34:6-7, God explains his character to Moses. One of the things he mentions is that he is “slow to anger.” In other words, he is patient with human beings. Despite our many failures, God constantly forgives and restores us. Similarly, in 2 Peter 3:9, Peter explains that God is not slow to act like some people think. His slowness is actually a demonstration of his patience. He is being kind to us because he does not want us to perish.
We are called to mirror this attribute of God in our own relationships. When we are struggling with anger towards our children or our spouses or wanting to get even with a friend for mistreating us, we can remember that God is patient with us.
Patience is about enduring through trials.
Patience also has to do with endurance. The author of Hebrews reminds us that Christ endured so much suffering at the hands of sinners. Using Christ as their example, the New Testament writers encourage believers to endure suffering with patience. When we walk through difficult trials, we can patiently expect that Christ will help us overcome.
Patience is about waiting for God’s promise.
Hebrews 6:15 speaks about the patriarch Abraham and how he patiently waited for God’s promise. Abraham was 100 years old when his son, Isaac, was born fulfilling a promise that God had given to him years prior. However, Abraham didn’t even get to see the fullness of God’s promise and the many nations that would come from his lineage.
Ultimately, as Christians we are waiting for God to bring renewal and make all things right again in the world. But, we also wait for other promises that God has given to us. Like Abraham, may we wait patiently for God to fulfill his promises.
A Willingness to Be Uncomfortable
Patience also requires a willingness to be uncomfortable. It is not fun to refrain from getting even, to endure trials, or to wait for God’s promise, but it is necessary for our spiritual formation. The only way to grow in patience is by being patient—so we need to make small, incremental changes to our lives to help us cultivate this spiritual practice.
Here are a few uncomfortable but fruitful ways that we can cultivate patience:
- Intentionally limit some access to the things we have at our fingertips. For example, we can limit easy access to information on social media by practicing a weekly social media fast.
- Practicing to pause instead of being quick to respond. When someone wrongs us, it is easy to quickly defend ourselves and try to get even. However, if we practice pausing in situations like these, we leave room to respond with grace and forbearance instead of anger.
- Learn a slow craft. Recently, baking bread has been helping me to cultivate patience. It is such a slow process to prepare the ingredients, knead the dough, proof the bread, knead some more, let it rest, and then bake the bread. But the slow process of baking is a powerful reminder that good things take time. It can provide so much support for those struggling with waiting on God’s promises.
A Deep Sense of Reliance on the Holy Spirit
Last but not least, we need a deep sense of reliance on the Holy Spirit as we cultivate the spiritual fruit of patience.
Remember, patience is a fruit of the Spirit. This means that the Spirit of God is the one who produces patience within us. Unfortunately, practicing patience will feel unattainable if we don’t allow the Spirit to lead us.
This is why Galatians 5 closes with an encouragement to keep in step with the Spirit. Keeping in step with the Spirit means that we follow the leading and direction of the Spirit as we live our Christian lives. The Spirit will certainly provide opportunities for us to grow in patience, but we must be willing to take them.
Running into all red lights on the way to work may not mean that we are having a bad day. Social media being down for a day may not be a cause for frustration. Lastly, a delayed online order might not be such a horrible thing. Instead, these things may simply mean that the Holy Spirit is working to teach us patience.
Cultivating patience is challenging, but it is not impossible. God graciously gives us the desire and ability to grow in patience. As we walk with the Lord day by day, we will grow spiritually.
Photo Credit: Emilee Carpenter
Shanté is the founder of Daily She Pursues, an online women’s ministry on a mission to help women pursue God’s heart through the study of the Word, cultivating prayer, and walking daily with the Lord. She is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies at Liberty University. Some of her favorite things include tea, journaling, art museums, essential oils, and thrift shopping.
