06.15.22 | The Fruit of Patience
In Galatians 5, Paul encourages the church of Galatia to walk in the Spirit –something we all desire to do as followers of Jesus, as we commit to practicing his way. In verses 22-23, Paul then specifies that the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
This week, we will be focusing on the fruit of patience as we continue through the four steps of FAST:
- Focus: Find a quiet place to settle your mind and open yourself to the Holy Spirit’s presence.
- Adoration: Spend time honoring and exalting God, tell him what you appreciate about him. Contemplate on who he is and what he has done. You might even be able to get a sense of his presence with you.
- Speak: Commune with God, taking moments to both speak to him about what’s on your heart and to pause and listen for his voice. Use journals to write down what you hear him say. Ask simple follow up questions like, “is there anything else you’d like me to know about [fill in the topic]” to really get to the heart of what Jesus wants to communicate to you and what you want to say to him or plead for while you fast.
- Transform: Commit to taking active steps to change or address what the Lord revealed during your time of fasting.
During the third step, Speak, ask God what he wants you to know about his patience. Ask God to remind you of times when he has been patient with you.
Then, spend time prayerfully considering where he is asking you to be patient in your life right now.
- Maybe there are areas where you are rushing to conclusions or decisions – what does he have to say about these situations or areas that come to mind?
- Or maybe there are specific people that you need to be patient, or more patient with – consider what God is trying to tell you about this.
- The fear of loosing control is often at the center of impatience. What would it look like in your life to let go of certain things and choose to trust that God is at work?
During the last step, Transform, spend time with the Spirit, focusing on finding ways to be patient. Perhaps there are circumstances or decisions that have to be made, or you may need to practice patience with certain people in your life. Once you have determined what action steps the Lord is calling you to, commit to following through. Additionally, we encourage you to share the decision you’ve made with another Jesus-follower who can keep you accountable.