“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.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

How?

How can one have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding? How is this possible?

I would love some of this peace right now. The protests continue. There is trouble and turmoil in the Middle East. Covid-19 shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, cases are spiking again all over the country. Many, including myself, are already tired of not seeing our friends and family.

Ugh!!!

I really could use this peace. How can we experience this peace? How can we make this peace a reality in our lives?

The first word of the verse of the day is important because the “and” that starts our sentence tells us that our sentence is dependent on what preceded our verse. It is the previous verse that gives us the key to having the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.

Want to know what it says?

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Several interesting aspects:

• Do not worry about anything…How? How does one do this? Paul tells us.
• Pray. Instead of worrying everything, pray about everything.
• Don’t just pray. Pray with thanksgiving.
  • Isn’t that interesting? Paul tells us to pray with thanksgiving even before God answers.
  • The reason why we can pray with thanksgiving even before God answers prayers is because no matter how God answers our prayers, God will do only what is loving, kind, and best for us.
  • Isn’t that great?!?! No matter what the answer to our prayer is, it will always be the most loving, most kind, and absolutely the best thing for us!!!

It is because of the kind of God we have that we can have the peace that surpasses all understanding, and it is this knowledge that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus is the ultimate manifestation of God’s love and will for us.

Man! I already feel better having studied this verse. Thank you God!!!