The Fruit of the Spirit – 4: Patience

The Fruit of the Spirit – 4: Patience

Galatians 5:22–23
“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.”
Although the Lord gives us this fruit, its manifestation in our lives depends on how we cooperate with the Holy Spirit and allow it to grow.
Today we learn about the fourth fruit—patience (or forbearance).
James 1:4
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Perseverance is deeply connected to patience.
Love is the soil in which all the other fruits grow. Patience is one of the “longest” fruits to develop. Those who lack maturity often struggle with it. For us to become mature, patience must complete its work in us. This is not something we can achieve on our own—it is a fruit of the Spirit.
God is patient. Just like a farmer who waits patiently for rain in the right season to bear fruit, God is a farmer too—and we are His crops. He patiently waits for us to mature in His time and season.
God prepared Moses for 80 years before using him for a 40-year ministry. Patience, which is an attribute of God, is developed in us through the Holy Spirit. 
Impatience short-circuits spiritual maturity.
Patience is not just about waiting—it’s about what we become while we are waiting. It is the soil in which God grows character.
Patience is steadfastness in enduring trouble. It is slowness in avenging wrongs.
It is also called longsuffering—endurance under provocation, remaining calm under pressure, delayed anger, and stretched grace.
It is the ability to suffer long and still remain kind.
It is the power to keep going when you feel like quitting.
Marriage, for instance, is one area where patience is essential to keep moving forward.
Noah is a powerful example of patience. He took nearly 120 years to build an ark in obedience to God’s command. Though people mocked and misunderstood him (since it had never rained before), Noah continued preaching and building, even when he didn’t fully understand what God meant. Only his family and the animals entered the Ark. The rest, though warned, chose not to enter. 
Patience is faith stretched across time without losing its grip.
Hebrews 6:12
“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”
To receive God’s promises, we need endurance—and endurance is deeply connected to patience.
George Mueller, a great man of God, had the habit of writing down the names of friends and praying for their salvation. The first one was saved after 5 years. Others took longer. The last friend was saved at Mueller’s funeral. He had great faith in God and patiently waited, trusting God’s timing.
We need patience in prayer. True patience prays when nothing seems to happen—and never gives up.
We need patience in three dimensions:
1. Patience with God
Psalm 37:7 – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.”
Job is a clear example of this. Even when he lost everything, he waited on God. God has a rhythm, a pace, and a tempo of His own. We must not rush the process.
Sarah, in her impatience, tried to accelerate God’s plan through Hagar, and it led to disastrous consequences.
God’s timing is always perfect. Impatience often flows from disbelief.
2. Patience with People
Ephesians 4:2 – “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
People will often test your patience more than problems do. Patience is love stretched into relationships.
3. Patience in Trials
Romans 12:12 – “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.”
We must be patient when going through trials. God strengthens us not just in the moment of breakthrough but also in the waiting room.
Joyce Meyer says, “Patience is not the ability to wait, but to keep a good attitude while waiting.”
Corrie Ten Boom says, “He who waits upon God loses no time.”
Adrian Rogers says, “God’s delays are not His denials.”
Let us allow the Holy Spirit to develop this precious fruit in us—the fruit of patience, so that we may lack nothing, become spiritually mature, and inherit the promises of God in due time.