Possessing patience or longsuffering is one of the hardest characteristics to cultivate in our walk with the Lord. Patience or longsuffering is difficult to cultivate because it is an attribute that is only developed when we face challenging or demanding circumstances in life. And yet, when mastered, patience can lead to the advancement of a mature faith. This is what James tells us in James (1:2-4): “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.”
The concept of patience was so important to the apostle Paul that he prayed that the members of the church of Colosse would develop it in their own lives. In Colossians (1:9-11) he wrote, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy…” In addition, in the same epistle, Paul challenged the brethren to put on patience when he wrote in (3:12,13): “Therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another…”
Paul also wrote to other congregations about the importance of developing and practicing patience. He told the churches of Galatia that longsuffering is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23), and He also told the church at Ephesus it takes practicing patience in order to walk in a worthy manner in the Lord (Ephesians 4:1,2).
Have you sought to cultivate patience in your life? Are you developing a spirit of longsuffering that your faith might become mature?
