I have spent time looking at the fruit of the Holy Spirit, reading and studying these nine characteristics in the ONE FRUIT, and today I am dealing with Patience, or longsuffering.

My foundational text for this is found in Galatians chapter 5, although I refer to other passages of Scripture as well. Get familiar with God’s Word and what is in God’s Word.

In this time when there is a lot of confusion in the world we need to know and know with certainty and certainty what Almighty God expects of us and of us.

We’ve been reading about what needs to be removed and weeded, and then what needs to be encouraged and cultivated.

Remember these words of Jesus in John chapter 15: “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

He is the vine – we are the branches – if you are separated from ME – separated from ME – wandering away from ME – you can do nothing. These are strong and challenging words indeed.

But what does Jesus mean? Because you can do things without Jesus.

We have to admit that, but we cannot do anything spiritually significant and spiritually vital unless we are united with JESUS.

Many years ago, when I was preparing a talk on this crucial topic, I wrote UNTIED instead of UNITED.

That is what Jesus means. If we are not tied to HIM and united with HIM, we will not be able to achieve anything spiritually significant.

When we come to Jesus, when we are born again, when Jesus anoints us with the Holy Spirit, God, the Holy Spirit, begins to grow this fruit within us. The fruit must begin to appear – Love – Joy – Peace – and PATIENCE. Take the time to read and reread this passage.

These are huge topics that Paul is dealing with in this short sentence, from Galatians, chapter 5, verses 22 and 23.

Patience means – having a good temperament – someone who has cultivated self-control – someone who does not lose his temper at the slightest thing – someone who does not easily lose his cool.

Temperament means ‘a mental disposition’.

It is the quality of keeping calm – in the midst of everything that is happening – and God does not give us so many opportunities to display this fruit in our shop window.

How are you when it comes to patience or long-suffering, in the family, at school, at university or at work, no matter where you work?

Are you able to ‘keep calm’ and control your temper when circumstances and pressures arise and appear as they will?

Some people test us sometimes, and some people seem to test us all the time!

Isn’t that when we most need to exercise and display the fruit of the Holy Spirit?