Tonight my thoughts fall to patience.
The dictionary says that patience is... "The quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like."
Patience, as we all know, is a virtue and one that is not always easily obtained. I know I, personally, have much room for improvement when it comes to patience. It is so easy to get annoyed or irritated and not handle it properly. I'm sure we couldn't keep track, even if we tired, of how many times a day we lose our patience. But imagine how much more peaceful and pleasant life would be if patience became a quality we could master.
Our God is a God of patience. Read what He has to say on the subject...
II Peter 1:2-9 ~ "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."
Galations 5:22-23~ "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience!), gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
James 1:4 ~ "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
(Just so you know, the dictionary defines "longsuffering" as "long enduring of trouble and provocation".)
What I gather from these scriptures is that if patience abounds in you, you will be fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord, you will obtain one of the fruits of the spirit, and you will be on your way to becoming more like Christ. What a wonderful character trait to have!
Until next time,
Juliana.
What a great post Juliana! Patience is something I struggle with a lot! It is hard to be patient when you are waiting for someone to reply back or for God to answer a prayer! Thanks for sharing all the Bible verses- They were good ones! Great post Juliana!
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