“Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

Out of all the times the word “patience” is used in the New Testament, about half of the references are in regard to God’s patience toward sinners, toward us.

As we saw yesterday patience literally means waiting a sufficient time before expressing anger. The literal translation of the compound Greek word for “patience” is being long-tempered as opposed to be short-tempered.

It doesn’t take much to get a short-tempered person to lose it. Anger, retribution, diatribe, cutting remarks spew out the moment the short-tempered person feels attacked or offended.

God is not that way. God is forbearing, patient, long-suffering. God knows we will mess up. God knows we will let him down. So God is patient, forbearing, and long-suffering with us.

This is not because God is weak. This is because God is strong. This is because God is loving and kind. This is because God wants to give us every opportunity to repent.

Thank God for that. If it were not for God’s patience and long-suffering with me, I would be toast!

God is our biggest fan. God wants us to succeed. God wants us to improve. God wants to see us live into our God-given potential. So he is patient with us. His patience is our only hope. Thank God for God’s patience!!!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

The fourth characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit we will be focusing on this week is patience.

Let me start with a confession. Patience? I don’t have time for this!

Patience. Ugh!

The Greek word for patience is makrothumia. The word literally means “patience,” “long-suffering,” “forbearance.”

So let me get this straight. As if suffering isn’t bad enough, the characteristic of the fourth fruit of the Spirit is LONG-suffering?!?!

Ugh! Yuck!

Before we get off track, let me explain what the Greek word actually means by patience, long-suffering, and forbearance.

The Greek word is a compound word:

• makros – long
• thumos – passion, anger

The Greek compound word literally means “long-passion” or “long-anger.” What this word means is waiting a sufficient time (i.e. long) before expressing anger. This word has in mind the ability to avoiding the premature use of force and retribution that arises out of improper anger.

In the English, we have the term short-tempered. Patience is the opposite of that. Patience, long-suffering, forbearance is to be long-tempered; waiting a proper time before expressing anger so as to not over-react.

This is how God is with us. And this is what God calls us to practice with one another.

Patience is hard and difficult.

Patience is not something we feel. It is something we do. We wait. We forbear. We long-suffer. This is an active verb. This is something we must work at. Patience doesn’t just happen.

What a timely word. Our world could sure use a lot more of patience, being long-tempered, long-suffering, and forbearing with one another.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

As we have seen all week, the peace that God offers us is not a concept or a feeling. The peace offered to us is the real presence of God himself in the person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

John 14-17 covers the last time Jesus spoke with his disciples prior to the crucifixion. These chapter covers the content of Jesus’ conversation with his disciples as Jesus prepares the disciples for life without his physical presence.

Today’s verse comes from this section. It’s interesting Jesus tells them that he is going to give them a peace such that they will no longer be troubled or be afraid. The way this peace comes to the disciples is through the person of the Holy Spirit.

The verses before our passage, Jesus says to the disciples, “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and not be afraid” (John 14:25-27).

The peace Jesus offers us comes in the person of the Holy Spirit. One of the Holy Spirit’s main role is to remind us of all that God has promised through his Son, Jesus Christ.

To have this peace, we have to know God’s word. That’s how peace works. The Holy Spirit teaches us what God has promised. We learn about what God has promised through God’s word. That’s how it works.

May you experience God’s real presence and peace during these days as you spend time with God’s promises through his word.