Therefore be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
James 5:7-8 NASB2020
Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. Patience is something we all need but doesn’t come naturally. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit-led life.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. That will be the fruit of your life if you live your life surrendered to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
I believe the fruit is progressive. You can’t get the next one until you’re living out the previous. Without love, there is no fruit. The Bible even says that without love everything we do is worthless.
Let it start with love. Then you will experience joy. Joy is independent of circumstances. Joy is relational. You’re loved by God so much that He doesn’t hold your faults against you. In fact, He sets you free from the sin that so easily besets you.
When you fully understand God’s redeeming love, it sets you free. You don’t have to worry anymore. You don’t have to perform for acceptance and validation. It’s okay to be you. God created you. He loves you. He doesn’t care that you’re a weak and fallible creature. He understands. And He accepts you anyway.
I don’t know about you, but that sparks joy in my heart. I’m free. I don’t have to be perfect. The Perfect One lived the perfect life and He freely shares His life with us. Hallelujah.
Peace. Where does peace come from? All I ever wanted in life was peace of mind. I’m prone to anxiety, worry and overthinking. Overthinking doesn’t lead to peace. Peace, again, is relational. Jesus is our peace. He made peace between God the Father and us.
Many people have the misconception that God is out to get them, that He wants to punish them. Nothing could be further from the truth. He already sent Jesus to bear the penalty for our sin. Jesus died and rose again. The penalty has been paid once and for all. God is for you, not against you.
The devil is the enemy of your soul. He wants to kill, steal and destroy. He’s a liar and that’s all he does. His primary weapon is deception. He gets you to believe a lie and mocks you as you act on the false belief. Then he accuses you of not measuring up. He doesn’t fight fair.
This is where we need patience. In this world you will have trouble. It doesn’t matter how rich or poor you are, who you’re related to, where you live or who the president is. You will have trouble. Accept that. And cheer up, because Jesus has overcome the world.
Without the love, joy and peace of God manifesting in your life, I think it’s impossible to have godly patience. However, when you are abiding in the true vine, it makes this momentary, light affliction bearable. We must maintain the eternal perspective if we are to live our temporary lives here on Earth in victory over the evil one.
Patience is what we all need right now. Are you experiencing delay, trouble or suffering? Don’t despair, God is with you in the trial. If we get angry or upset about our circumstances, we put ourselves in the place of God and judge the situation without fully knowing what God is doing in the midst of the trial.
We know that God works all things out for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Jesus went to the Cross because it pleased the Father. What’s your cross to bear? Endure suffering with patience and prove yourself to be a child of God.
If you’re looking for a good example to follow, don’t look to the world. That’s the devil’s domain. All the systems of this world are meant to enslave you to sin. Anything not done in faith is sin. Anything not done in obedience to God is sin. Clearly, the world is a sinful place.
The Kingdom of God is free from sin. Right now, we’re in the battle. Your soul is the battlefield. Heaven and hell are waging war for your devotion. Will you be devoted to God, your Savior? Or will you be devoted to this present age, the great deceiver? The choice is yours. Choose wisely.
Now is the time to focus on your relationship with God. The world is still mostly paralyzed. Idols of our imagination are crumbling. The things we once held dear are being exposed as false gods with no power and no life.
The secret to a peaceful life is to accept what you are given. The Law states that we should not covet. We should not lust after what someone else has. We ought to be thankful and grateful for whatever God gives us, whether that be blessing or testing.
Trust God. He knows what He’s doing. He is patient, too. The reason the final judgement hasn’t been poured out on us yet is because He wants to give everyone the opportunity to repent. The Gospel must be preached to all nations, then the end will come. There are still billions of people who have not heard the Good News. God wants to give everyone a chance to escape hellfire. All you have to do is believe.
My encouragement to you today is to slow down. Take a breather. Look at and examine your life. Where is God leading you? What can you let go of? Where do you need to trust God more fully? Take a Sabbath rest. Recalibrate. Reflect. Restore your fellowship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
To God be the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Igniter Ministries 