Patience (Part 2)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is... PATIENCE..." Galatians 5:22 

Last week I listed a bunch of verses on patience.  Below are a few commentaries I have on a few of the verses listed last week. Please feel free to share your insights and findings on your favorite verses on patience!

Proverbs 19:11: Overlooking a wrong in the sense of not allowing it to bother you/annoy you is something we all need to learn early in life.  This prevents strife and anger from getting the best of us.  Patience when teaching someone how to do something (even if they don't do it right the first "few" times) is a great way to learn how to be patient in this way.

Proverbs 25:15: Patience when trying to persuade someone can be very productive.  When someone doesn't immediately see something the way you do, try to explain it in a calm and peaceful manner.  Not only will this avoid strife, but when they see how you approach them with your idea or point of view they will be more apt to agree with you.

Ecclesiastes 7:8: Pretty self explanatory.  I love the way the "New Living Translation" says this.

Romans 2:4: God is patient with us; and He is our ultimate example.  Thus, we should follow that example by being patient with others.

2 Corinthians 6:6: The Holy Spirit will help us develop the "Fruit of the Spirit" qualities.  We should strive to listen to the Holy Spirit and ask for help in learning to apply them to our everyday life.

Colossians 1:11: Patience can help us handle persecution, which in turn can help us be great witnesses for the Kingdom of God.

Colossians 3:12: A lot of these are "Fruits of the Spirit"... Things that are listed multiple times must be pretty important.  If we act on these "Fruits", we will be following God's plan for us, and we'll be good examples to others.

1 Timothy 1:16: God was so patient with Saul (who later became known as the Apostle Paul).  And look what this led to!  A transformation that only God could produce, and one of the greatest apostles of all time!

Hebrews 6:12: In your patience don't sit around and do nothing.  Even though you might be waiting for that special someone to come into your life, or for that next job opportunity, that doesn't' give us an excuse to sit around and do nothing.  We need to use what we have right now to be the best light we can be for our Lord and Savior!

2 Peter 3:15: While we might be ready to give up on someone, God has other plans.  When asking yourself why God doesn't take that terrible person out of your working environment, why so and so  doesn't get fired, or why the teacher in your classroom is so annoying, use these opportunities to enlarge God's Kingdom.  Maybe that person is there for you to be a witness to?  Or maybe your "annoying" term paper (on the worst book you've ever read) is exactly what that teacher needs to read.  

We are never sure who is watching us here on earth, but we can always be sure God is watching.  Let's be sure to develop those wonderful characteristics instead of the not so wonderful ones.  I don't know about you, but I want to be come a "Proverbs 31 Woman" for my future husband.  I don't want him to regret marrying me because I didn't take the time in my singleness to develop my "Fruits of the Spirit".  Who do you want to become?  It takes work and perseverance to become Christ-like.  I think this is a worthy thing to work towards.

Blessings!

~ S*