It's That Nasty "P" Word...

Patience.

The word that people dread to hear.

"Mom, are we there yet?!"

"Have patience, dear."

Yech.

The sad thing is, the art of being patient has been dragged through the mud multiple times. Sayings like, "Patience has its limits. Take it too far and it's cowardice," can draw a negative picture of patience in our minds. Our own lack of it can also make us despise the word, as we usually feel as though we're simply incapable of being patient! Why push the matter?

But, "the fruit of the Spirit is... patience."

So instead of arguing philosophical points on such a matter, I would like to point out to you an example of someone who had amazing patience - Abraham.

Abraham's wife was barren, yet God had promised to make Abraham the Father of many nations. Sarah was his only wife, and his only wife could not have children. So how could this be? Perhaps God would open her womb! Abraham waited... and waited... and waited. Sarah's patience broke before Abraham's, and she gave her maidservant to Abraham, that he might bear a child through her. Through Hagar, Abraham fathered Ishmael. Yet Ishmael was not the one through whom God would bless Abraham with "descendants as numerous as the stars."

Finally, when Sarah was well past the age of bearing children, the Angel of the Lord told Abraham, "My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year."

After years and years and years of seeing no evidence of the promise of God, Abraham was to be a Father! God waited until there was no possible human way for Abraham and Sarah to have a child, and then He acted. What an incredible miracle it was!

Now my question is this: How often do we miss answers to prayer, simply because it's taking too long, and so we give up praying?

"If He hasn't answered me yet, He must not want to give it to me. I should just give up."

"They tell me that the Word of God moves in power, but I haven't felt it move at all, and I'm still feeling sick. Why would I keep claiming it if it doesn't seem to work?"

How many blessings have we missed simply because we did not choose to rest our confidence in God and His timing? How much more could we have if we practiced the patience that Holy Spirit brings when He comes to live in us?

If Abraham - the father of many nations - could have the patience to wait for many, many years until the promise of God came to pass, can't we also do this? We have the constant counsel and comfort of the Holy Spirit - Abraham did not. Yet he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

So let us believe God for the impossible in our lives... today. If you've been battling a sickness for years, don't give up. If you've been waiting for God's promise of a ministry, don't give up. If you've been waiting for God to bless you with a child, don't give up. Let Holy Spirit bear the fruit of patience in your life as you use the sword of the Spirit - the Word of God - to cut down the enemy and his lies, and as you block the enemy's fiery darts with your shield of faith.

May we all have patience, and not worry.

In Jesus,

Cayla