Good morning people who are grateful for the slowness of God to anger.
Galatians 5:25 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Oh, such a lovely word – forbearance. In the KJV, the word is longsuffering (that says a lot doesn’t it). And in the Amplified Bible the word is patience.
Galatians 5:22 AMP But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
Patience is not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting. That’s powerful!
As we consider this essential part of the fruit of the Spirit, we need to start by remembering that God is patient with people. Different to the popular belief that God is quick to judge people and write them off, God is very long suffering when it comes to people and their wayward hearts.
I have often marvelled at the propensity of God’s children, Israel, to see God do incredible miracles on their behalf, only to rebel against Him and complain about Him repeatedly. I shake my head at their stubborn hearts, and then I think that I am kind of the same. God was patient with His people Israel and God is patient with you and me today.
It’s good to ask why God is patient, and the answer is found in this often-quoted scripture:
2 Peter 3:9 NIV The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Simply put, God is patient because He does not want anyone to perish. Sometimes God is slower at judging people than we think He should be because His desire is always repentance and relationship. I’m sure that Saul of Tarshish was grateful for this truth about God.
God is patient towards people who are struggling along the way.
Are you patient with others like God is patient with you?