Patience – A True Virtue posted by Yuen Woh Voon on Nov 21, 2011

“Patience is the greatest of all virtues,” the sages tell us. And they were right! The Bible says that it’s an aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This means that the outcome of a life indwelt by the Spirit will be a patient one.

If you think God answers your prayers pretty fast, you probably don’t really know the ways of God. Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed for years and only got their son when they were elderly. Abraham and Sarah had to wait for 25 years before Isaac came. If anything, God will appear too slow to act. The saints in Scripture had to learn that delay is not denial and that patience is indeed a virtue.

Many things in life take time. We cannot rush some things no matter how hard we try. It takes a woman nine months to deliver a baby. Nine women cannot do it in one month.

Jesus likened evangelism to fishing for men. To his disciples who were fishermen, Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt 4:19)

A good fisherman needs to be patient. He cannot do anything to hurry the fish to take the bait. He must learn to wait patiently. If he is unwilling or unable to wait, he should not go fishing. Similarly, those involved in evangelism need to patient when sharing their faith. Time is needed to connect with people, to develop relationships, and finally to wait for the time when the Holy Spirit will convict that person of his sin and his need for salvation.

We must sow and wait for the harvest. Although the time of the harvest is not in our hands, the sowing is. It may take time, but eventually, we will reap what we sow. Today, sow a seed and be patient. But you must sow. And you must wait.