The Fruit of Patience:
Patience - “the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.”
Tonight we light the candle of patience. “Patience is a virtue.” That is a phrase we commonly hear in life. Patience is something we must learn. We are not born with patience. The love of the Father must cultivate patience in our life. This cultivation process takes time.
Historically, when we look at Chanukah we celebrate for 8 days the victory over the aggression of the Seleucid Empire. The Maccabean Revolt took more than 7 years to win the war. There was a lot of patience needed in this example moving forward to the goal of freedom.
As a parent, it takes many years of patience and cultivation in a child's life to teach behaviors that need to be learned. In the same way, the Father of Lights desires to cultivate many beautiful attributes in your life, through the Spirit.
The fruits of the Spirit help point us in the right direction, continually growing in the Father's great love. When we extend love, joy, peace, and patience to those around us, how do they respond?
We will not do this perfectly and there are many lessons to learn along life's journey. Every new opportunity can bring love, joy, peace, and tonight patience into your life. From our lives, they can be extended to those around us.
Let us take these nouns of love, joy, peace, and patience and turn them into verbs. First, receive the gifts yourself and then express them to others around you.
Whether you were a Jew 2,000 years ago, waging the Maccabean war or living today, God wants to be in a relationship with us. He wants to give us a new heart and put His Spirit within us.
The natural man has trouble understanding this amazing opportunity. Let us encourage each other during this Chanukah season, and beyond, to begin or continue to be mindful of the cultivating work God wants to do in our lives through the fruits of the Spirit.
"Then came Hanukkah in Yerushalayim. It was winter, and Yeshua was walking around inside the Temple area, in Sholmo's Colonnade. My sheep listen to my voice, I recognize them, they follow me, and I give them eternal life." - John 10:22,27 CJB
God's love lights joy, peace, and patience. Keep following and listening to His voice on the path to eternal life.
Many blessings,
Todd