I n nature, every fruit grows on its own timetable. Some fruits, like passion fruit, papaya, strawberries, and blackberries, can bear fruit in their very first year. But if you plant a pear, cherry, or plum tree, you might wait five to seven years before you ever taste a single harvest. When it comes to growing the fruit of the spirit, you might say patience feels about the same as waiting for a plum tree to grow fruit.
Patience may feel small and slow growing, but the Bible tells us that is carries some incredible and life-changing powers. For example, Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” This truth is repeated in Proverbs 15:18, “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention” Simply put, anger creates more anger, but patience diffuses it. Although we may naturally want to respond to harshness with the same kind of attitude, God called us to something better.
A gentle answer, a calm tone, or simply slowing down before we reply can be the difference between healing a situation or blowing it apart. Patience doesn’t just prevent conflict, it represents Christ. Paul echoes this truth in Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” So before we speak, God asks us to run what we say through three filters. First, do these words build up? Second, do they fit the moment? Third, do they give grace? By doing this, we put patience into practice and make a conscious decision to speak in a way that blesses others instead of wounding.
The book of Proverbs teaches us that patience has the power to overlook and show true wisdom. Proverbs 19:11 says, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” Wise people don’t feel the need to react to every irritation or mistake and instead can let things go. Why? Because we all have moments we regret, words we shouldn’t have said, or responsibilities we’ve forgotten, and remembering our own flaws helps us extend grace to others (Eccles. 7:22). Much too often, when we think of strength, we imagine force and anger, but God shows us quite the opposite. Proverbs 16:32 says, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city”
Conquering a city may take military strength, but controlling your emotions takes spiritual strength. Without patience, we are open to spiritual attack. That is why Paul warns us, “Be angry and do not sin… and give no opportunity to the devil” (Eph. 4:26–27). Anger creates an entry point for temptation. Patience shuts the door. So, we can certainly see the importance and advantages of patience in the Christian life, but the big question is how do we develop patience in our daily lives?
Scripture gives us three steps to do so. First, we need to see that patience is not optional. We cannot fool ourselves that patience is not something required for God’s people. God expects self-control. Second, we must slow down and listen. James 1:9 says, “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” Third, we must let love lead the way. 1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that “love is patient” Impatience reveals a lack of love for others. Finally, we must remember that patience grows as the Spirit grows in us (Gal. 5:22-23). We cannot manufacture patience on our own. We grow it by walking closely with God and filling our hearts with His word. By God’s Spirit, patience becomes more than a virtue, it becomes power, peace, and a living testimony of Christ at work within us.
-Andrew Spivey