Luke 21:19 – In your patience possess ye your souls.
Patience is one of the characteristics of the fruit of the spirit, but how can we get it? I know of only one way, handling tribulation in a godly manner. Tribulation or trouble teaches disciples of Christ how to deal with the issues of life in a Christ-like manner. By patient labor waiting upon the Lord’s will and grace, we gain experience.
Without patience, life can be miserable. Being unable to tolerate the problems and troubles of life makes everything an irritation like rocks in your shoes. Pearl oysters deal with sand by coating the grain with pearlescence making something irritating into something beautiful. With patience, we too can endure what cannot be changed creating a hopeful future.
As the Apostle Paul’s admonished the Romans, tribulation works patience, patience leads to experience, and experience leads to hope. We cannot always escape tribulations, but by patience we enjoy blessings in any situation. With patience, the grain of sand is made a pearl in the heart of the child of God.