Year Two, Day 283: Putting Up With People Without Exploding

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control;against such things there is no law."

I am still focusing on the "fruit of the spirit". I am a teacher. I've learned that one of the best tools for learning is repetition. Let me repeat that. 

"I've learned one of the best tools for learning is repetition."

Simple. Old school. Effective.

Focusing on the fruit of the spirit everyday is internalizing it for me. I am beginning to feel like I am living it!

Today's fruit is patience.

Speaking of which, please be patient with me as I share two quotes from Jesuswalk.com. One short, one super lengthy. But worth the read.

"The fruit of patience should be understood as forbearance, that is, putting up with people around us without exploding."

"Patience" (NIV, NRSV), "longsuffering" (KJV) ismakrothymia, "state of being able to bear up under provocation, forbearance, patience toward others."

There's an old joke about the person who prays, "Lord, give me patience -- and give it to me right now!"

Patience is the personal manifestation of this word, but "forbearance" is how it is to express itself in the Christian community. It has to do with "one's long forbearance toward those who oppose or distress one in some way."

Often this word is paired in the New Testament with another word, hypomonē, "the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty, patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance."Makrothymia stresses the idea of forbearance and patience in difficult times, while hypomonē emphasizes the idea of perseverance and steadfastness during difficult times.

I think that there's a natural kind of patience that comes with age and experience. As we get older, we're not so anxious about things, because we've discovered that some things take time and can't be hurried. And that's a good thing. But there is a Holy Spirit fruit of patience that comes from a trust in God that he will bring something to pass when he's ready. Patience is a product of a maturing faith, and comes from walking closely with the Holy Spirit." 

http://www.jesuswalk.com/galatians/8_fruit.htm

"Putting up with people without exploding". 

Lol! I love this!

The whole world needs more patience!

I am going to start having more patience.

Beginning with myself!

And on that note:

Happy Saturday!

Me in my "piano apron". A sweet woman from one of my old church pianist jobs made it for me. I've recently become quite fond of wearing aprons when I teach!