A Fruit that Produces Gold

By Brenda Gittens
        

Patience can be defined as consistency, waiting, endurance, perseverance, and not giving up. We have to be patient, especially with one another. Don't give up on folks so quick, give them a little time. And we have to be patient with ourselves and what we are faced with. We're striving towards perfection and God is doing a work in us. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4). Patience is a process that is good for us, and it’s also a fruit of the Spirit that coincides with these other fruit - faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and longsuffering. We learn through it. We gain experience through it. The best is the result of it.

Romans 5:3-5 tells us, We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. We do have a hope! Through the process of patience, our hope is that we and things are not going to remain the same. There is a song that says, "Please be patient with me, God is not through with me yet. When God gets through with me I shall come forth, I shall come forth as pure gold!" But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. (Job 23:10). Do you want to be a gold production? Yes I do! Then you have to let this fruit of the Spirit called patience; have its perfect work and way in your life!

Scripture of the Day: "Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." - Romans 5:3-5