Fruit of the Spirit - Patience

On Sunday we looked at our 2nd Fruit of the Spirit – patience. We discussed 3 ways we can lengthen our fuse so that we do not lose our patience:

1. For starters, identify what lights your fuse. What is it that makes you lose your patience? Is it slow drivers, long lines for lunch, people constantly late or something else? If you want to increase your patience, you have to first identify what makes you impatient and shorten your fuse.
   
2. You may need to modify your expectations or correct mistaken beliefs. Part of what may make us impatient is that we have false beliefs about how things should work or happen. Therefore, when they do not go as we think they should go, we lose patience and get frustrated.
   
3. Build time into our lives for relaxation, renewal, and rest. This is so important because we live in such a busy area. If all we do is run around with our heads cut off going from place to place, participating in this and that, we will never be able to rest and relax. When we are not able to rest and relax, our fuse becomes less.
   

Two verses we highlighted were Philippians 4:6-7 and 1 Peter 5:7.

• How do these verse help us with patience?
  

So, at the mid-week point, how are you doing this week in being patient?

One great example of patience is God’s patience with us. Ever since Adam and Eve first turned their backs on God, He has been striving towards reconciling our relationship with Him. But, no matter what he tried, we kept on turning our backs on him. For instance, take a minute and read Psalm 81:12, Romans 1:21-32.

1. What would you have done if your people responded to you this way?
2. How did God respond?
3. How does God show us his patience here?

God could have easily come down and destroyed us all for all the times we have blown it with him. But, he didn’t. He remained patient and ultimately sent his son to die for us.

This week, let us continue to work on lengthening our fuse. In addition, let’s be striving towards Christ this week in all that we do. He has been so patient with us over the years.

Pray for patience this week, practice it and seek Him!