Patience

Again-I stole this from someone else. I will blog sometime this week, once it slows down :)

Living life consistently in the fruit of the Spirit takes effort and (some days) hard work. It can be tough because it's, unfortunately, unnatural.

One virtue in particular, patience, can be challenging. Especially the aspect of learning to wait for the best versus settling for the good.

So here are three tips for cultivating patience in your life:

1. Plan for patience. A new motto we've been using in at the studio is "leave margin." "Margin" is simply leaving room in all areas of your life for life to happen at a reasonable pace. Leave margin in your calendar. Leave margin in your workload. Leave margin in your checkbook. Planning for this amazingly breeds patience...leave extra early for an event with your family and you will see what I mean!
2. Practice patience. Patience takes work. Why? Because patience isn't really natural for the 21st century American. Everything is instant...instant rice, instant media, instant messenger, etc. It's amazing how little we wait for things...and heaven help us if we have to wait! Intentionally work at it. Pick a situation each day to practice patience. You're health and your relationships are worth it.
3. Pray for patience. I know that goes against grandma's ancient proverb "never pray for patience" but let's be real. If we truly want to be more like Christ in every virtue it's going to take something supernatural. Christ in our life transforms us from the inside out. Allow the Holy Spirit to make you prone to patience.

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning. So it's better to be patient than proud." Ecclesiastes 7:8, NIrV

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