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Patience Pending

Words of Faith Final

Patience Pending

Words of Faith 2-26-2021

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

www.faithfellowshipweb.com

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Ephesians 4

     [1] As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.   [2] Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  

 

      The axios walk is a life that is lived in a manner worthy of the calling of Christ.  The Holy Spirit teaches us that our walk-- the way we occupy life-- should reflect three attitudes and one action.  They are all relational.  We are to be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

      But how do we walk with patience?  Is that a slow walk?  A reticent gait?  Halting?  Actually, the Greek word here actually means, literally, longsuffering. Hmm, does that mean I wear shoes that don’t fit well?  Well, of course not.

     Patience is the character quality that is able to wait and suffer if necessary... long.  It is the character quality of the Holy Spirit in us that is able to forbear with another person in a trying situation. 

      Patience does not generally come quickly.  By its very nature, patience is something that we cannot really work on but is worked on us and in us.  It is a character quality developed over time through trying situations.

      Patience is the fruit of the Spirit, which never gives up but endures to the end. The Bible teaches that patience is one of the things we are to be clothed with-- Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12).

      Even in directing Timothy to conduct ministry, Paul grounded these instructions in the quality of patience.  Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:2).

       Patience is most fundamentally a deep trust in God that is willing to wait on Him when necessary, which is all the time.  God is never late.  Our waiting may be long or short, but patience is the quality that trusts with deep peace in the waiting.

       Patience is not necessarily passive.  Patience is waiting on the Lord, but passivity can sometimes digress to be laziness in the name of patience. Patience is most often a matter of keeping going when the going is hard and slow.  Patience is an especially important fruit of the Spirit in relationships.  We will often find we must be patient in waiting for the Lord to do His work in a family member, friend, fellow Christian, or a person we are trying to disciple or mentor.

        Are you walking in patience?  It is often said that one should not pray for patience unless they are prepared for many trials.  But we certainly can pray for all of the fruit of God’s Spirit to be manifest in us.  We won’t have all that we need immediately, but our patience is pending.

 

        Father God, lead me not into the place of temptation.  Deliver me from the evil one.  Manifest Your Spirit in my walk such that I am at peace in the waiting and diligent in the working.  Give me Your grace that is equal to my every need. Give me patience as I trust You to be at work in those around me... and in myself. In Jesus’ Name.

 

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2010, 2021

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.