Patience and the Spiritual Gifts

Discovering and using your spiritual gifts is a process that requires a lot of patience. A lack of patience can lead Christians astray related to their own gifts and cause tribulation in a number of ways. In this article I will outline the important role that patience plays related to the spiritual gifts and offer you a number of ways to gain patience in the process.

Patience in Discovering Your Gifts

When some Christians reach the point in their Christian life where they are seeking the spiritual gifts, it can be hard for some to not be impatient about what the Holy Spirit may bestow upon them as their gift. We must remember that the Holy Spirit reveals the spiritual gifts on God’s schedule and not our own. No matter what readings, sermons or questionnaires we engage in we can still feel as if we have not received any direction. This can quickly lead to frustration and possible feelings of abandonment by the Holy Spirit and a sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out!). In addition, some Christians may try aggressively seek their gifts in their own way by assumption or choosing gifts they want versus what they have been actually given by the Spirit. This lack of patience waiting for the Holy Spirit to act can adversely effect not only the person but also the body of Christ where they serve.

Consider Paul’s writings in the Letter to the Romans, Chapter 5:

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Romans 5:1-5 KJV

In seeking the spiritual gifts our own impatience can cause self-inflicted tribulation. We must be at peace where God has led us in our walk with Him, and have patience that when it is time for us to know and use our spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit will reveal them to us. Use prayer, meditation, and Bible study to gain peace and patience for the Holy Spirit to act.

Prayer: Ask God for clarity and discernment on what your spiritual gift may be. Include in your prayers a request for patience in all that you do.

Meditation: Meditation is not just some out of body relaxation or Zen experience. Meditation is to think deeply and carefully about a subject. Keep the spiritual gifts top of mind in your day to day.

Bible study: Read and reflect on parts of the Bible that address the spiritual gifts. There are a number of resources on this site, including a list of Bible verses relevant to each spiritual gift included with their descriptions. This site also maintains a list of writings outside of the Bible that can provide insight in the References section.

Patience in the Use and Fruit of Your Gifts

Impatience can also arise with those who have found their spiritual gifts and are seeking how to use them. The range of emotions felt at this stage can lead some to become aggressive with the use of their spiritual gifts. This manifests itself by people getting involved in anything and everything they feel is related to their gift instead of asking the Holy Spirit for guidance. The result can be people imposing their will on others, becoming boisterous or overconfident in their decisions and actions because of their gift, and creating frustrations when the fruit of their labors is not immediately felt, seen, or appreciated.

In Wilhem Pauck’s book Luther: Lectures on Romans, he notes in the commentary what Martin Luther writes in relation to Romans 2:7 linked to the passage that reads “By patience in well-doing”.

Those who are impatient, and complain of the suffering they have to bear while doing the good, thereby show that their doing the good is not from God but that it is, rather, an assumption of human righteousness by which man does the good for his own sake, because he seeks to be honored and respected thereby, and because of it he resents it to be slandered, defamed, and hated on account of it.

This is why it is said in James 1:4: “Let patience have its perfect work,” i.e. though any virtue may produce a good work, only patience will bring forth the perfect good, namely, something that is not beset by any vice nor begun in the love of praise of self nor left undone for fear of blame, but completed and brought to and end in the love of God.
Pauck, 45

Our adversary, the devil, tries to insert himself in everything that we do. Using your spiritual gifts is something that he does not like and he will do anything he can to stop it. His influence can bring about those feelings of frustration when the fruits are not what you would like them to be. We have to keep pride out of the work we do and keep the focus on God. Remember what Paul writes in Romans 12:3 right before he talks about the spiritual gifts.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Romans 12:3 NIV

Through patience, prayer and faith it will be revealed to us by the Holy Spirit on what use our gifts are to the body of Christ.

Patience: Seek to understand your spiritual gift. Talk to your Pastor or community leaders to see where you might be needed. Resist the urge to rush things.

Prayer: Add understanding of your gift to your regular prayers. Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance on where you are needed.

Faith: Know that you have a gift and you are to use it. The Apostle Paul is very clear that everyone in the body of Christ is given at least one spiritual gift (Romans 12:6).

Patience is so important in our spiritual journey and it often is overlooked as a virtue. I hope this article has provided you some things to consider related to patience and the spiritual gifts. Feel free to comment below or contact me with any questions or observations you may have. God Bless!