The Fruit Of Being Patient

The devil has a plan for your life: Doubt, To make you question God’s word and His goodness; Discouragement, To make you look at your problems rather than at God; Diversion, To make the wrong things seems attractive so that you will want them more than the right things; Defeat, To make you feel like a failure so that you don’t even try; Delay, To make you put off doing something so that it never gets done.

The fruit of being patient---- Galatians 5:22, 23

What do you think happens when we ask God for patience? It seems He sends test or trials our way to see develop patience. EPH 4:1-3As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

To start I would like us to look at four ways we come across to test us just to get a feel for where you are.

The first is disturbances that come our way. These come when it appears we are busy with life and do not need them. Like when you set down for a meals and the telephone rings or there is knock at he door. You are busy in your house and a needy person knocks at your door or a family member wants your attention. You are very tired and sit down to rest but some one needs you now. Did you know that Brahms lullaby came after seven years in which he was disturbed many times? Jesus had to get on to His followers because they thought parents should not be disturbing Him with their kids when He was preaching. When Paul was busy about his ministry he had many disturbances. 2 COR 11:23-32 “I have been in labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more, in deaths many times. Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the deep. I have been in travels often; in dangers from waters; in dangers from robbers; in dangers from my race; in dangers from the heathen; in dangers in the city; in dangers in the wilderness; in dangers on the sea; in dangers among false brothers. I have been in hardship and toil; often in watchings; in hunger and thirst; often in fastings; in cold and nakedness; besides the things outside conspiring against me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn? If it is right to boast, I will boast of the things of my weakness. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I do not lie. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, desiring to lay hold of me. And I was let down in a basket through a window through the wall, and escaped their hands.”

Have you had disturbances and how are you dong with them?

The second test is trouble. How many of us like to have things now? It seems we get upset if things do not

happen when we want them. How many of you wanted church to start on time? How many of us will go to a

fast food place to eat because we want the food now rather than waiting for the mal to be cooked at a nice

restaurant? Most of us it down to eat and it is consumed in ten minutes. Would you believe that many of us

have physical ailments because we do not let our food digest in a good amount of time. How many of us have our spoon or fork loaded before we even are done with what is in our mouths? We could also talk about the news media in which we want instant coverage of what is happening. When it is election time many are told before they go to vote how things are shaping up. Just think which we cannot do when stage coaches came that if you missed one you would just wait for the next one in a day or two. Many of us get when we miss an elevator and have to wait. The bible gives us a story about two sisters that Jesus often visited and on one occasion the one sister got real upset because the other one just sat at Jesus’ feet while she had to get a meal ready. Does it trouble you when there are people taking time to pray and read their Bibles when there is work to be done? What are your troubles? Are they keeping you from Jesus? COL 3:12-15 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”