Growing patience

I've mentioned several times that Linda loves her garden. One of the annuals she plants is called "impatiens"

This picture isn't from her garden but it looks a lot like some of the ones she has grown.

I don't know if the root of the name has anything to do with patience or not but when I hear it always reminds me of "impatience" which I have a lot of.

This summer in our children's Sunday school the theme is "The fruits of the Spirit".

My blogging friend Bobby Valentine recently (a month or so ago) suggested a process of listening to God by praying through Romans. I tried his suggestion and found it to be a useful experience and so I thought I might do something similar with the Galations 3:23 passage . I started by looking at what the Bible had to say about each of those fruits and then spending time in prayer asking for growth of that fruit in my life. I made a good start and got through love, joy, peace in the first week of doing this.

However, when I got to patience - my patience failed me and I got diverted onto other things. This morning sitting here in a campground I have been listening to couple of John Dobb's "podcast" sermons and meditating on the subject of how fruit grows - not of its own effort but through its' connection with the tree. Roger gave a lesson a few weeks ago on that theme --that we are able to love our enemies - not of our own doing - but through our connectedness to the vine

So my thought is that we can grow the flowers of "patience" in our lives through our connection with Jesus.

Here are the results of my search for "patience" - May reading and praying about this be the seeds and fertilizer for a garden of patience that the Spirit grows in your life

Patience – (patient, bear with) – 333 times in NT including

Patient with each other (in context of forgiving and overlooking faults)

1. Matthew 18:26, 29 Parable of the ungrateful servant – Master forgave large debt; fellow servant owed small debt and asked for patience; but he didn’t "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'

2. Romans 15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

3. Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

4. Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

5. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

6. 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Patience in listening

7. Acts 26:3 (Paul with Felix) and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

God’s patience -

8. Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

9. Romans 9:22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?

10. 1 Timothy 1:16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

11. 1 Peter 3:20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,

12. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

13. 2 Peter 3:15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

Our Patience (as a "flower" grown by God's spirit)–

14. 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

15. Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

16. 2 Corinthians 6:6 (Paul speaking of himself and how he has lived “in Christ”) in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

Waiting for God or enduring hardship with patience

17. Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

18. Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

19. 2 Corinthians 1:6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.

20. Colossians 1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, …

21. 2 Timothy 3:10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,

22. Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

23. Hebrews 6:15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

24. J ames 5:7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.

25. James 5:8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

26. James 5:10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

27. Revelation 1:9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus

28. Revelation 3:10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth

29. Revelation 13:10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

30. Revelation 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

God Bless
Charlie & Linda