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PATIENCE AS AN ASSET VS. A LIABILITY - GALATIANS 5:22-23

Today we look at everybody's favorite, including mine, patience. I want to look at patience as an asset. A lot of times we look, we think about patience as a liability, in other words, something that works against us, but really that's because we view life through our timeline instead of viewing life through God's timeline.

What you learn the farther you grow in your relationship with Jesus is that time is actually on your side even though you have less of it as you live. Now this is very counterintuitive, but when we begin to understand and trust God's timing versus our timing, then you flip the script and then patience becomes an asset class.

So in other words, the more that we wait on God, the more we get done, the more we accomplish. It's very counterintuitive, it's very counter culture because we live in a hustle culture, we live in a sort of a kick ass world, and yet God says the more you trust me, the more patience that you need and the more God can accomplish in one second or one minute, then we can accomplish in a month, a year, even a decade.

So what does all this mean? Galatians 5.22 says the fruit of the spirit, the fourth one is patience. Now what are we talking about here?

Well the first thing that we're talking about is endurance. And so we don't like endurance because it means that we have to tolerate things that we would rather not tolerate.

Let's break this down.

Look, when God is telling us to be patient, it means that we're going to endure people in circumstances that we don't care for. Well as a follower of Jesus, the number one goal is for us to become more like Jesus. So what that means is that God is going to put people in circumstances in our way, in our path that we don't like, that we don't care for.

So first thing that's required is endurance. Endurance is a supernatural quality that kicks in when we don't want to do it anymore. So you're going to have relationships with people and you're going to be over it in like five minutes.

And God's going to say, nope, your timeline is five minutes, my timeline is five years.

And you're going to go, what? And so God is going to use that relationship to mold you, to refine you, to become more like, you guessed it, Jesus.

So endurance has to do with tolerating people and circumstances that we want to run away from. That's why we need patience. Sadly, a lot of people run away from people and circumstances that are the very thing that God is trying to use to make them more like, you guessed it, Jesus.

So the second thing is patience has to do with consistency. Consistency. So what that means is that you're faithful and you're consistent long after you want to be faithful and consistent.

So now the third thing is this quality of patience is especially shown in trouble. What does that mean that patience is especially shown in trouble?

Well, when we get in trouble, we want to solve things and we want to fix things. God says, it's not for you to solve, it's not for you to fix. What I need you to do is I need you to be patient. I need you to trust God that He is working on your behalf in a situation that you want to run away from. So the Bible says that we're not supposed to run away from trouble, but that we're supposed to exercise patience when trouble comes into our life.

So what God needs you to do is to exercise patience when trouble comes into your life.

And then the fourth thing that it means is in one translation, more technical aspect of the English, long suffering, another translation calls this suffering long. Now that's really the way to look at it.

This is a little easier concept for you to understand if you're an accomplished athlete.

So any accomplished athlete has had to suffer long. My friend Julie Watts runs 60 miles at a time on occasion. That's suffering long. Her husband, one of my best friends, Adam.

World champion, black belt in jiu-jitsu, suffering long. People that have ever won a world title in something, that is suffering long. Because to win a world title in either baseball or basketball or surfing, you did it in one season and you worked your whole life to get to that one season, have everything go right. That's suffering long. So this concept is a little easier to understand if you're an accomplished athlete. If not, it means holding on way after, way after you want to.

So fruit of the spirit, today patience. I'm putting a link at the bottom of this video to joy, peace, and love. Because again, fruit of the spirit, Galatians 5, 22 and 23, this is going to help us grow and God is very concerned that we learn how to utilize patience in this life as we live for him.

Why don't we go ahead and pray together now. Lord, would you please give us your patience, which essentially means way more than we're capable of having in our life for those who have struggled, who've given up in this situation and the circumstances that they find themselves in. Would they trust you today to give them patience and help them through this age and stage of their life with your power, not our power, but your power, Lord, in Jesus name. Amen.

Text me if you need anything 562-553-2024. I hope you have a beautiful day.

Ryan