Fruit of the Spirit Series: Patience- Part 4 of 9

           Patience is one of those virtues that is widely recognized in the world, not just in Christian circles. This can be seen in old adages like "Good things come to those who wait." However, this is also one of those truths that is usually countered by people who have seen the good results of ambition and initiative and, thus, we have the counter-adage: "Better things come to those who act." I have seen this attitude in churches, which are more often businesses these days, who are pushing for growth and results while doing very little to examine the quality of such growth. There is something to having a deeper community than one that is necessarily large (Although, there is nothing inherently wrong with large churches). Let us consider Proverbs 16:32:

32 Better a patient man than a warrior,    a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

          Would it be too much for me to say that God cares more about character than about results? The idea of a patient person outdoing someone who conquered a city seems in blatant contradiction with much of Western culture. I mean, who cares if you're patient if the job gets done? Isn't patience just a means to an end anyways? From what I remember, especially from the world's adages, the point of being patient is so that I can get what I want. However, I think we should take this verse to mean that God actually does care about our character, no matter how many people we are able to convert and disciple. Of course, those things are important to God, but I think we make too little of the personal qualities of ministers and instead judge them on numbers. There are a variety of megachurches with watered-down doctrine, especially health and wealth doctrine, that attracts a large following, but leaves those who come with an unquenched thirst for something more real.
          I talked recently with a disciple of mine about the three keys to ministry: prayer, faithfulness, and patience. (By the way, if you think this discussion about ministry only applies to pastors, you'd be wrong. When I say ministry, I mean what you did today and, in fact, what you are engaged in every day of your life. Your life abounds with opportunities and blessings that others are waiting to receive.) First, we approach God with prayer before we engage in today's ministries as well as whatever prayer happens throughout the day. Second, we are inwardly faithful in our spiritual disciplines and time with God as well as outwardly faithful in obeying God's commands, especially those that call us to love others. (These two forms of faithfulness can be seen as the two greatest commandments, Love God and Love Others.) Third, we wait patiently on God to take what we have given him and turn it into something big. Yet again, you can see that the Fruit of the Spirit, in this case Patience and Faithfulness, are intimately intertwined. You can see this theme of patience in ministry in 1 Corinthians 3: 6-9 and Mark 4:26-29:

 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

 26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

         Here, we can see that ministry is not done in a fearful way where we are constantly putting the pressure to gain results on our own heads. Instead, we pray to God, do what he has called us to do, and patiently wait on God to use our faithfulness to fulfill his goals and desires.
        In closing, consider James 4:13-16:

 13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

       I have heard of pastors who said that if they were given an hour on national TV, they would be able to win several thousand souls to Christ. In response, I refer to John 15:5

 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Thank you for your time.
In Christ,
Simeon Snow