Spirit-Fueled Patience

“By design, patience is a Spirit-fueled characteristic, and we will need the Spirit and His presence in order to live it out and to model it for our children.” 

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The law is not against such things.” Galatians 5:22-23

Patience. I’m sure just reading that word evokes some kind of internal reaction. As moms of various ages, we’ve all lost our patience, and we’ve all carried the guilt of it (lay that down momma). But biblical “patience”, as a fruit of the spirit, is an interesting word.

In the Hebrew, “Patience” is the word for “long nosed.” Yep. Weird. But it’s the equivalent of saying you have a “long fuse” (as opposed to the short one I’ve had from time to time.)  It means being slow to anger. The Lord is slow to anger. He gets angry for sure, but His anger is righteous and measured and long-suffering, and it is always aimed at sin, not at personalities or weakness or immaturity. He is patient toward humanity, toward His children, not wanting any to perish, but for all to come to repentance, with a change of heart and mind. 

We are called to be imitators of God, reflecting His character in our thoughts and actions. Patience is a God-shared attribute of being slow to anger, having endurance, using restraint. It’s not something we can adopt by ourselves and walk out in our own strength. By design, patience is a Spirit-fueled characteristic, and we will need the Spirit and His presence in order to live it out and to model it for our children. 

So, when the situations of motherhood cause our short-nosed nostrils to flare, we have to ask the Holy Spirit to impart to us a pause of heart, and to bestow to us God's long-suffering, slow burning fuse. We must ask the Holy Spirit to gift us, in the moment, His clarity, the reminder that anger is never aimed at His child but at the sin, and to see our kids through the God-lense of compassion and wisdom.

Action Steps:

• There are practical ways to prepare for the times impatience comes knocking and to train your brain in the “off-season” (the moments that are calm). 

  • Remember that love practices listening over speaking. 

  • Remember to consider your kids' perspective through their eyes (the eyes of a child). 

  • Know your own limits (sometimes we have to get a moment to ourselves and breathe, i.e. the bathroom).

  • Ask God to create in you a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within.

  • And finally, apply lots of grace. Patience isn’t a destination you arrive at; it is a fluid journey where we depend on the Lord moment by moment.

Written by Brooke, mom of 3

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