Bible Verses for Patience

Patience as something God grows

For when you feel you simply don't have it.

• "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

  Galatians 5:22-23

  "Longsuffering" is the old word for patience. It's listed as fruit — grown, not forced.

• "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,"

  1 Corinthians 13:4

  Love's first description is patience. When we're impatient with someone, the deeper question is often how to love them.

• "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

  2 Peter 3:9

  What feels like God's slowness is often his patience — with us. We practise patience because we've received so much of it.

• "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."

  Proverbs 14:29

  Slowing down before reacting isn't weakness. Proverbs calls it great understanding.

Patience in slow seasons

For when what you're hoping for is taking a long time.

• "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."

  Psalm 37:7

  Patience and rest belong together. Fretting is impatience that has nowhere to go.

• "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain."

  James 5:7

  A farmer can't hurry rain. He does his part, then waits — trusting the seasons he can't control.

• "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;"

  Romans 12:12

  Three short commands that travel together. Patience is easier when it's held up by hope and prayer.

• "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."

  Ecclesiastes 7:8

  Impatience often wants to skip to the end. This verse reminds us the end is worth waiting for.

• "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."

  Hebrews 10:36

  There's often a gap between doing what's right and seeing the result. Patience is what carries you across it.

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