Known by Their Fruit: Patience

Matthew 7:16-20: "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them".

Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Patience is a word we hear often, but living it out? That’s a different story. I think God knew we’d struggle with patience; that’s probably why it’s listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. And in the original Greek, the word used is makrothumia (μακροθυμία), which carries a deeper meaning than just “waiting.” It means “long-suffering” or the ability to endure difficult situations with a calm and steadfast heart.

When I first learned about makrothumia, it changed the way I looked at patience. Instead of just “waiting without complaining,” it’s about enduring with grace. It’s the kind of patience that’s not tied to how long we have to wait or how frustrating things get. It’s about how we carry ourselves while we wait. It’s about having a spirit of endurance that says, “God, even if it takes longer than I thought, I’m trusting You.”

I’ll admit, this isn’t easy. We live in a world of instant gratification. We want things now. We want prayers answered now. We want breakthrough now. And if we’re honest, we often feel entitled to it. But makrothumia teaches us that patience isn’t about the timeline; it’s about the trust. It’s about letting God work in our lives at His pace, not ours.

Think about how God is with us. He has more patience with us than we can imagine. He’s there with open arms, ready to forgive us over and over, even when we keep making the same mistakes. That’s makrothumia. God’s patience with us isn’t just about giving us more time; it’s about giving us grace as we grow. It’s about enduring our messes with love and gentleness. And He calls us to walk in that same patience.

Here’s a little tough love: when we’re impatient, what we’re really saying is that we think we know better than God. We’re saying, “God, this should’ve happened by now” or “Why are You taking so long?” We get frustrated, and sometimes we even try to force things to happen before they’re ready. But that’s not how God works.

James 5:7-8 gives us a powerful reminder: “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.” Just like a farmer knows he can’t rush the seasons, we need to trust God’s timing. Some seasons require makrothumia—a patience that doesn’t give up just because we’re tired of waiting.

So, if you’re in a season where patience is hard to find, remember that God’s Spirit within you is there to help you endure. He doesn’t expect you to just “wait quietly.” He’s teaching you to grow stronger, more steadfast, more like Him.

Let’s try this together: next time you feel that urge to rush, to push, to make things happen, take a breath and remember makrothumia. Let it remind you that patience is more than waiting; it’s about trusting God’s process. It’s about holding onto faith, even when it’s hard, and believing that the One who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.

If God can be this patient with us, maybe we can try to show that same patience in our own lives—living with a calm, trusting heart, even when we’re tempted to rush. Because in the waiting, God is doing something beautiful.