By The Spirit - PATIENCE

Guys. We are four days into 2019. HOW DO YOU FEEL??? I feel pretty great, but it’s probably because I had Einstein’s Vanilla Hazelnut coffee this morning and I. am. amped.

Today we are looking at the fruit of the spirit, PATIENCE.

The best definition of patience I have EVER heard came from the one and only Joyce Meyer: “patience is not the ability to wait but how we act while we wait.”

Confession time, friend. I am TERRIBLE at waiting. I value efficiency, and I have little tolerance for things being slow, or late. I almost always can find a way to do something quicker, more efficiently, faster. I love Amazon Prime, my Click List at the grocery store, and the ability to buy movies off of Netflix. I can even mobile order my Starbucks so that I role into the store, role out of the store, and I didn’t even need to make eye contact with a barista as I grab my drink in my makeupless, beanie wearing, oh-so-sexy mom of toddlers look.

Waiting to me seems passive, and guys, I seriously can’t stand the idea of stagnation. Maybe you can relate?

When it comes to faith, I believe that having faith in God should produce. If I trust him for an outcome, it should come about. If I have faith for the future, that path should be cleared. If I believe on God for breakthrough it should come. Now.

But faith, I’m beginning to see doesn’t always produce.
Sometimes faith is just patient.

And some things (read the BEST THINGS) just.
take.
time.

When Jesus speaks about the kingdom, he almost ALWAYS uses agriculture as his metaphor. I believe that if Jesus was alive and ministering in 2019, he wouldn’t update his metaphors. The reason being, a seed growing into a Mustard Tree is much more like the kingdom than our iPhones ever will be. Jesus says the kingdom is like a farmer who plants seed, it’s like seed scattered on the ground, it’s like a dude who plants a crop goes to bed a few weeks and then suddenly is shocked when he sees something GROW. These metaphors are intentional. The kingdom is powerful, but the kingdom also requires patience.

With harvest there are three stages:
1.) Sowing (Starting)
2.) Growth (Waiting)
3.) Harvest (Reaping)

Some of us are in starting seasons, some of us (praise God) are in the beautiful season of harvest where all of our promises of God are blooming, (finally), but I believe many of us are in the growth stage. Where your promise of God is like a seed in the ground buried in wet soil. Any movement in your life is happening BELOW the surface. Above ground, there is nothing. Nothing to show for your growth. Above ground, it seems like God maybe has forgotten, God’s promise is in stagnation, God’s word isn’t on the move.

But, oh, if we could see just below ground.

To have patience as we wait for God’s promises in our lives we need only one thing. I believe only ONE thing is needed in order to WAIT WELL. And that is faith - that he who planted, is faithful.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. - Hebrews 10:23

This verse should be on every mirror of our homes. God, who gave you a promise of marriage. Or ministry. Or character development. Or breakthrough. Or family salvations. Or HOPE - this God won’t fail you. He won’t leave you or forsake you. He won’t stop what he’s started. And he will bring about what he promised. So HOLD. TIGHT.

Wait well.

And have faith in the interim, that he who promised is faithful.

May your waiting be deep and rich like a seed in the ground in 2019.

Until tomorrow,

jessie

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