Challenge of the Day: Be Patient

I know, I know, I know, none of us think we can win this challenge.  But the Word says we can so let's have faith and put our best foot forward. 

Notice the challenge is to be patient not to have patience.  I wrote it this way because having patience is not a challenge.  According to Galatians 5:22-23, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (or patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."  So this means that when we confessed Jesus as our Savior and received the gift of the Holy Spirit, the seeds for these "fruits" were deposited inside of us.  We may not feel like they are there, Satan may lie and tell us they're not there, but the Word of God says that we have the potential for patience, joy, love, and peace already living inside each of us.

So how do we activate this patience that's resting inside of us?

Well my first response was an automatic, "Pray about it."  And that's still a fine answer, but the reality is we are praying for a gift that's already been given.  That's like me saying, "Lord, please help me walk."  I imagine the Lord would be looking down on me saying, "Girl I gave you two legs, two feet, muscles, nerves, and a blood supply; what more do you want? Get up and walk!"  He tells us the same thing with the fruit of the Spirit, "I gave you patience, be patient!"  We have to make a conscience decision to be patient.  When we lose our cool it is not the fault of our boss, our friends, our family or any other circumstance.  Nothing and no one should be able to take anything that Jesus died to give to us.  In John 16:7 Jesus said, "It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."  When Jesus ascended into heaven He left us a Helper called the Holy Spirit.  This Spirit convicts, guides, and produces fruit in the life of every believer.

Read over Galatians 5:16-26 and convince yourselves that it is God's will for you to be patient.  Convince yourselves that you have been equipped with everything you need to be patient.  Then, as Nike says, "Just do it!"