How many of us can do that on our own? We usually want things done, yesterday! We constantly want to "Help" God out. I know for myself, I get very impatient with people that don’t understand what I am saying or trying to show them. I want to take it out of their hands and "Do It Myself". But that is wrong, and God has helped me over the years to understand that not everyone is going to do it "My Way" and that He is very patient and long-suffering with me! If I was Him, I would have given up on me a long time ago, but thank God he didn’t.

Col. 3:12-14 says this

Therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Long-suffering or patience helps you to get along with others. Lack of it shows immaturity. Notice that there are other fruits of the Spirit mentioned in this verse, mercy, kindness, meekness and above all else, LOVE. So obviously they all work together to help you overcome your lack of patience. Love is a strong force. Without it, patience is an impossibility. If I don’t love you, I certainly am not going to be patient with you.

For a few years Tom and I were in charge of a children’s ministry. Believe me you have to have patience when you have up to 80 children under your care. I believe God used this as a tool to develop patience in both of us. Some of those children would push you to the limit, but we loved them and saw their needs and it helped us to be patient and to understand what was motivating them.

Likewise when we were pastoring a church years ago. There were many opportunities to test our patience. But the word of God tells us this

My brethren, count it all Joy when you fall into various trials and temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have it’s perfect work, that you will be perfect and entire, lacking nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it shall be given to him. But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who doubts, is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed, let not that man think that he will receive anything from God.

Now I am sure we all clap our hands with Joy when trials come our way. Well maybe not, but like in a previous lesson, the Joy of the Lord will help us get through it. And if we meet it with the right attitude, it will bring forth the fruit of patience or long-suffering. God will not send evil our way, but He will send things that will try our faith to see just what we believe. To see if we can stand against it and come up smiling. If you read further on in this chapter of James, it will tell you that God will not tempt with evil, verse 13-15. But He tests us to see if we really believe in Him to get us through it. Then when the devil brings things our way, we are ready for him and stand in God’s strength.

I know I want patience to have it’s perfect work in me. I don’t pray for trials and tests, they just come, and I am learning to rely on the Lord and His word to get through them.

Long suffering does not mean "Suffer long" We don’t have to sit in the middle of the test or trial and just stay there, and "Suffer". We go through!

For you had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.

It is only going forward that you gain the patience and the reward. God made us More than Conquerors.

Verse 38 Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

I want to please the Lord, don’t you? Push forward and endure. Be patient, and God will reward you.

Romans 5:3-5 We glory in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation works patience, and patience, experience and experience hope, and hope makes us not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Don’t ask God for patience. Tribulation will come without asking for it. Just ask God to help you face it and get through it and come out the other side a better person and patience will come in the process! Some people pray "God give me patience" Then when tribulation and tests come, they complain and sit in the middle of it and moan that God didn’t hear my prayer. They learn nothing and become a grumbler instead of Joyful. I pray this for you, that God will help you to recognize the opportunity for growth! That is the way to face it, as an opportunity for God to develop you and teach you. Not because of the trial, but in spite of it. Again, trials and temptations will come, it is how we face them that counts! Will they defeat us? Or help us grow?

This is a place where temperance comes in.

According to His divine power has he given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust, and beside this giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue, and to virtue, knowledge, and to knowledge, temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Going back to our definition of Temperance again - Temperance: self control, the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions.

The preceding scriptures show us that our own lusts and desires will draw us into and bring trials and temptations our way. If we can have temperance we will not be overcome by the temptations that the devil brings our way. We will overcome them, and learn in the process. The devil knows just where to attack you. He knows your weaknesses and will come at you from that point. It is whether we let him do it or not. Will we take it as an opportunity to prove our faith in God, or submit ourselves to it. I don’t want to be barren in the things of God, I want to be fruitful, don’t you? Satan would try to keep us blind and unfruitful. Don’t let him!

So for the fruits of Long-suffering (patience) and Temperance, we will go through these things. But the key word is "Through". By gaining patience, we will be able to deal with all sorts of people and the frustrations they may bring. We will be slow to anger and forgiving. Not quick to correct, or control, but teach. Will not be swayed from our faith, during the hardest of trials, but stand steadfast, no matter how long it takes. We will have more self control when it comes to our desires and passions. But most of all, we will please God!