Patience: like many of the other fruit of the spirit, requires listening–
listening to the Holy Spirit, listening to those we are tempted to be impatient with, and listening to our heart, our voice, and asking God to sift out the impurities that are there and leave only his love. This listening is an active waiting on our shepherd to guide us. Patience is cultivated with love; without love, patience becomes tapping one’s feet, passive/aggressive behaviors that are intended to intimidate, coerce, and demand change, while patience instead encourages, listens, walks beside without cajoling and browbeating. Patience is God-given, God-nourished, and a blessing to both the person being patient as well as the person on the receiving end of patience. Patience is about trust–whole-heartedly believing that God the Father will work out what we lift up to him, because of the blessing of our Jesus our intercessor, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
God is slow to anger, patient to lead us to repentance; Paul was saved to demonstrate Jesus’ perfect patience. We can see God’s patience throughout the Bible, from caring for and waiting on Eve and Adam, all the way through Jesus with us and his disciples, and the people he taught. The patience of God is supernatural–it is elemental to God’s character.
(ESV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law..
Colossians 3: … 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. … 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. … Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
Luke 8:4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
1 Timothy 1: 12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.[d] Amen.
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Exodus 34:6, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. . . .”
Numbers 14:18, “The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. . . .”
Nehemiah 9:17, “They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.”
Psalm 86:15, “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
Psalm 103:8, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
Romans 2:7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 9:22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
2 Corinthians 6:6 … but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: …. by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;
Ephesians 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Colossians 1:11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
2 Timothy 3:10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Hebrews 6:12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
James 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
James 5:10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
2 Peter 3:15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
