patience

Patience is listed as a fruit or a part of the fruit of the Spirit. Of course that list begins with love. A good list to study, relating the virtues or characteristics together. And the passage is about community together in Jesus, not so much directly about our individual lives with God.

I think a big part of patience is learning to "lie low." I mean to hang in there with people, even when it seems little or no progress is being made against whatever problem there is. And at times when there is inevitable (as is the case with us all sometimes) relapse or falling back into our old ways.

Patience means we hang in their for people, for everyone. That we do so praying and being there for them. Much of the time for me this means I'll be doing less. Listening yes, but talking less or trying to help, less. But there is a time to talk, and maybe so emphatically, though with the same patience. And to act. But never a time not to show forth this patience, through the Spirit who indwells us individually and together, in Jesus our Lord.

What would you like to add to this?