A Virtuous Lifeნიმუში

Patience

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

The virtue of patience is one that most people recognize they need more of. But, how does one actually become more patient? This is the question that we’re going to focus on answering today. As we’ll discover, the fruit of patience might not be exactly what we think—and as a result, developing it will likely require a different approach than what we’ve attempted in the past.

As a reminder, the virtues we develop are not things that we muster up in our own strength. They come from our relationship with Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. This doesn’t mean we just sit back and watch as they do all the work. Being a Christian means following Jesus wherever He leads. And following someone where they’re going requires movement on our part.

Jesus won’t force you to follow Him. It’s something you have to choose. And the Holy Spirit won’t force you to become virtuous. But He is inviting you. If you accept the invitation to partner with Him, He promises to make the impossible possible.

So, what is the virtue of patience? In some translations, the word for patience is translated as longsuffering. Why? Because the word for patience can also mean endurance, perseverance, and resilience. The virtue of patience is about more than just “waiting well.”

Patience means remaining faithful in the present as we wait for what’s next.

It’s about having the grit—the resilience—to stick with Jesus when life doesn’t seem to be going our way. It’s choosing to persevere when we’re experiencing pressure and persecution because of our faith. It’s enduring suffering while holding onto joy and continuing to love. It’s getting back up every time we fall and recentering our focus back on Jesus every time we start to drift.

When it comes to our task of remaining in Jesus, patience isn’t an option; it’s a necessity. Because, as His followers, we will be hated, mistreated, and pushed away by the world, just like He was.

“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.” John 15:19-21 NLT

The kingdoms of this world hate Jesus. They rejected Him, arrested Him, and executed Him to try and stop Him from becoming king. But, ultimately, every one of their attempts proved to be a failure. Because dying was always a part of His plan. He patiently suffered through the pain of torture and death to rob hell of its power and open up the floodgates of heaven.

The powers and principalities of this dark world aren’t happy about their defeat. Knowing they can’t get to Jesus, they have resolved to take out their anger and hatred on us. This is what Jesus warned His disciples about during the last week of His life. He said:

“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14 NLT

Persecution will come your way. You will be rejected, misrepresented, and belittled because you are with Jesus. And, tragically, for many people, the pressure will be too much. Instead of remaining in Jesus, they will turn their backs on Him. They will give in to sin, and their love will grow cold. But that doesn’t have to be your story. You can endure patiently and experience the salvation that Jesus won for you on the cross.

Following Jesus won’t make your life easier, but it will make your life better.

Following Jesus will almost certainly make your life harder. But following Him is always worth it. Why? Because He is better than anything. And He has the power to change everything. So, while we will be confronted with all sorts of things we wish we didn’t have to deal with, God’s good news always prevails. The kingdom will be preached to every corner of the globe so that all people will know that Jesus is King and He has invited them to find refuge in His kingdom. And, because He is so kind and patient, He wants to give as many people as possible as much time as needed before He returns to deal with sin and darkness, once and for all.

So, how do we develop the virtue of patience? We remain faithful to Jesus today as we wait for the future He has promised. We stick with Him, through every trial and hardship, knowing that He is with us, and His Spirit is working in us, to give us the strength to persevere under pressure.