True patience in the terms we are using is not some natural characteristic. It is not some superficial trait. It is something that has its home in the spirit of man and its origin in the Holy Spirit.
The Bible says, “The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit” (Ecclesiastes 7:8). Natural tolerance will give way under trying circumstances, but patience that has been worked out by the Holy Spirit and made a part of the heart-condition of the saint who has suffered, is permanent.
HOW TO BE PATIENT
The Cross of Christ must bring all the manifestations of impatience listed above to an end. The believer must confess each one of them as deep sin. These are manifestations of the devil’s character. Therefore, the believer must hate them with the same hatred with which he hates stealing, killing, adultery, and the like. The cross will be greatly limited in its work when such hatred is lacking, for why should God proceed to separate a person from that which he loves?
Patience is worked out in us by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3,4). The Holy Spirit does not pour something out of heaven into us called patience. He produces patience in us by a difficult route – the way of suffering. He will allow you to suffer and to suffer very much and often very unduly. The more you suffer without complaining, the more patience will be imparted into your inner man. The more a person suffers, the more the fruit of patience will mature in him; but the less he suffers, the less patient he will be.
Many saints pray and say, “Lord give me patience.” They expect God to perform magic and in one go make them patient. God can do that, but He has chosen not to. Such believers should instead pray, “Lord, grant me to be one with You in Your suffering. Make me suffer. Stand in my way a million times. Bring me to the end of my own devices.” If they pray that way, they should trust God to bring them to suffer. They should not only ask, they should plead with God that their prayer be answered soon. God will answer them and bring them much suffering.
If they suffer with a complaining heart, the suffering will be of no use and they will remain impatient. If they just resign to the suffering and say,”Well, what can I do? God is greater than l, I give in,” they will suffer and their suffering will produce no fruit. If they accept the suffering with thanksgiving and say to God, “Thank You for this gift of suffering which You have sent to me so that it may produce patience in me. I receive it from Your hand with love and joy, knowing that it is for my good,” they will suffer and suffering will produce much patience.
PATIENCE AND CHARACTER
The Bible says that patience produces character (Romans 5:4). The character of Christ is produced through patient suffering. This means that the impatient are off the rails of Christian character. It also means that those who run away from suffering run away from character.
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It becomes imperative for every child of God to put on the patience of Christ. It becomes a must for every child of God to suffer. This means that the greatest gift that God can give any believer, next only to His precious Son, is suffering.
This means that believers should covet suffering, trials, persecutions, etc, and rejoice in them; for they are among God’s greatest gifts. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear!
God bless you!!
