Proverbs 14:29; 19:1 - Knowledge equals patience

Whoever is patient has great understanding,

but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

A person’s wisdom yields patience;

it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

I think one of the most important keys to unlocking the fruit of patience is knowledge. I call this Managed Expectations. People are going to do things we don't expect. Situations are going to not be the way we want them to be. The Spirit can produce patience if we will manage our expectations with knowledge.

Have you ever had to wait forever for a doctor appointment? How frustrated did you get? By managing our expectations, we can gain patience and save ourselves a great deal of anger. Healthcare is a difficult industry full of unexpected emergencies. If we prepare ourselves for a possible long wait at the doctor office, then when it is only 15 or 30 minutes we will be pleased.

When dealing with people, managed expectations come in to play even more. We can't expect our 2 year old to not get tired and grumpy after being out all day. We can't expect our 14 year old to “act like an adult” because their brains are still being formed. If someone is acting unreasonable, there is a reason. We may not know what it is, but we can be patient and deescalate the situation.

Lord, thank you for giving us patience as a fruit of the Spirit living in us. Please give us knowledge so that we will understand and be patient. Amen.