In our ongoing series about the Fruit of the Spirit in the context of missional enterprise, we come to the quality of patience. In a world that prizes speed, efficiency, and immediate results, patience is often undervalued. Yet, for missional entrepreneurs, patience is not just a virtue—it is a necessity. Without it, we risk taking matters into our own hands rather than waiting on God’s timing.

Living in an Impatient Culture

A visit to any doctor’s office makes clear that we live in an impatient culture: people shifting in their seats, checking their phones, sighing in frustration when their names aren’t called immediately. We live in a culture that expects instant gratification, whether it’s in our personal lives, business endeavors, or even spiritual growth. However, the Bible calls us to a different way—one that embraces patience as an act of faith.

A Businessperson’s Patience: Learning from the Farmer

James 5:7-8 gives us an illustration that directly applies to those in business: “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (ESV)

A farmer is a businessperson. He depends on the right resources—rain, soil, and time—for his crops to grow. He cannot rush the process or demand a harvest before the season is right. Likewise, missional entrepreneurs must recognize that the fruit of their labor—both spiritual and financial—depends on God’s provision and timing. There is a season for planting, a season for tending, and only in the right season will there be a harvest.

Patience is Ultimately Godward

Patience is not just about waiting for circumstances to change; it is about trusting in God. James, in the passage above, tells us that our patience is focused on “the coming of the Lord.” Similarly, Psalm 37:7-9 exhorts us: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.” (NIV)

Waiting on the Lord requires us to trust that His plans are better than our own. It means resisting the urge to compare ourselves with others who seem to be advancing more quickly. True patience is rooted in faith that God is at work even when we do not yet see the results.

Patience is an Expression of Faith

At its core, patience expresses trust in God. It reveals that we believe His timing is better than ours, His plans are wiser, and His provision is sufficient. Faith and patience go hand in hand. The farmer waits because he trusts the process—and more importantly, the One who governs the seasons. In the same way, we wait because we trust God, even when outcomes are not immediate or visible. Missional enterprise leaders are called to that same kind of trust: trusting not only the principles of sowing and reaping, but the God who sends the rains and brings the growth.

Verse of the Week:

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him . . . Psalm 37:7

May God fill us with his patience and empower us to be still, demonstrating our trust in him through patience in the businesses we are entrusted to lead.