Have you ever heard someone tell a group of Christians, “I’m asking God for patience,” and the whole group chuckles and says, “Oh don’t pray for patience! God teaches that the hard way.”
Yesterday when I woke up, I was one of this group, the ones who feel a little fear at remembering how I had to learn to be patient through trails and hardships. A little trepidation at having to be taught to be even more patient. Here’s how God changed my mind.
My three-year-old and I went to Walmart bright and early, looking for a few things. Most of it was food but I needed some Tupperware too and just couldn’t find it. Don’t judge! I have only been in this Walmart a couple times.
I found a young woman stocking shelves and asked her for help. She told me where to go, and I thanked her and asked her how her morning was going. She said, “It’s going well,” with a tone did not convince! I asked, “Can I pray for you?” and she answered, “yes” so quickly I almost laughed.
When I asked her how I could pray for her she took some time to think. Not everyone shares their deepest desires and pain with a stranger, so I gave her some time to search for the right word. With tears in her eyes, she said one word. “Patience.”
Lord, only you know what she is waiting for. Only you can comfort and provide. Bless her, Jesus, bless her.
I started to pray for patience and as I did, I thought to myself, “Ha! God be merciful as you teach patience.” But the next thought was, “Oh! Patience is a fruit of the Spirit so that comes directly from YOU with no pain necessary, just relationship!” How many of you know that the second thought came from the Holy Spirit Who will remind us of all things and lead us. Praise God for His voice!
So, as I prayed I thanked God for her and her work at Walmart, for her kindness to me to help me find the Tupperware. I thanked Him that patience was not hard to learn but came from Him, as a fruit of the Spirit and that all she had to do was spend time with Him and He would grow patience in her as a gift of relationship.
I would like to argue that God is willing to teach things the hard way and the easy way. The hard way being the religious way, aka the world’s way where we work and strive for our reward and are punished by a strict God who is stern faced and stingy. We imagine that He doles out lessons in blood, sweat, and tears.
The easy way is through relationship. All we do is spend time with the God who rewards us even when we have done nothing right. Died for us while we were yet sinners and lashing out at Him. Shed His blood, sweat, and tears for us and is waiting with open arms always. Was beaten beyond all recognition so that He could come dwell in us and make us right with God. So that God could teach us the easy way and make us more like Him through His own effort not ours.
God is good and there is no one better.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!– Galatians 5:22-23
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
If you are hoping, wishing, praying for anything on this list you can only find it one place. In Him! Through Him. Yes, God teaches through trails and uses them so beautifully. Nothing is wasted in the Kingdom of Heaven, and we have all grown in uncomfortable times. James tells us to “count it all joy” (James 1:2) when trouble comes calling, because we know what God will produce in us, but we can’t forget that Jesus’s yoke is easy, and His burden light (Matthew 11:30).
While we have trouble in this world the Fruit of the Spirit should come easily within our relationship with God. Need more fruit? Go get more God. He gives abundantly! We have to let Him guide us in all things, we must do all things in Him, and we need to abide. Then we will see these qualities of God spring forth in our own lives! He makes us like Him. How wonderful, how marvelous, how unimaginable that He would do this for someone like me and you.
Advent is right around the corner!
I can’t wait to dig into Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy with you! Weekly devotionals will be dedicated to exploring these topics. Let’s celebrate our long expected King during Advent. He came 2,000 years ago as one of us, but He will be back again in all His glory!
Don’t miss an article! Subscribe for free.