Fruitful Living
The fruit of patience
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Joyce-Aryee.jpg&description=The fruit of patience', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Joyce-Aryee.jpg&description=The fruit of patience', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
“But the fruit of the Spirit is Patience.”- Galatians 5:22 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
Contrasted to the acts of the sinful nature is a single-minded lifestyle called “the fruit of the Spirit”. This is produced in God’s children as we allow the Spirit to so direct and influence our lives that they destroy sin’s power, especially the acts of the sinful nature, and walk in fellowship with God.
Patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. It is a virtue that is essential for healthy living. Its vital role in every human relationship has made it a subject of intense scrutiny by all kinds of professionals. Yet, in spite of all the extra attention, PATIENCE remains a very scarce commodity in our fast-paced world.
From a little child vying for attention, a tired parent lashing out at a child, angry drivers hurling insults at other road users, jostling and shunting in queues, driving above speed limits, and many other commonplace instances, we see evidence of the scarcity of patience in every human activity.
Society also seems to be going along well with the reality of this scarcity. Continuous research churns out faster products for everything from pencil sharpeners to computers, aircraft, ships, and rockets. Leaping from merely faster upgrades, many manufacturers now boast of instant versions of their products, as proud tribute to those who do not have patience, and whose lack they want to gratify.
God knew that we would get to this point in our human history, and gave the warning ahead of this time, that “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”– Matthew 7:19.So, what is the good fruit that He wants us to bear? It is the fruit of the Spirit, and PATIENCE is one of the core components of that fruit.
1. The Benefits of Patience
Patience described as the inner toughness that surmounts many odds, is generally regarded a family member of wisdom, peace, joy, kindness, love, and many other good traits. Many cultures acclaim patience as a trait that has the ability to figuratively cook stone to tenderness, and as a trait that can overcome any obstacle, clean up any defect, and thrive through any opposition, trial or affliction.
Patience is not that obvious in ideal situations. As a result, it is easy to miss its presence where people are punctual, keep their words and promises, are alert to personal character defects and promptly work hard to correct them, respect deadlines, honour commitments, and seek for the good of others. Many will take it for granted that such situations happen by chance, yet it is the existence of PATIENCE that fosters such an environment.
When God said we must bear the fruit of patience, He did not intend it for His benefit, but for our own individual and collective good.
Medical evidence gives us a list of many diseases that can develop as a result of not having sufficient patience. Some of these diseases can be fatal, and the leading one is cardiovascular disease. Hypertension and stroke are among the common diseases that can result from prolonged impatience expressed in thoughts, words, or actions. Anger, unforgiveness, slander, envy, jealousy, discontent—these are all some of the common outworkings of those without patience.
2. The Need for Patience
In his insightful book Patience in the Midst of Trials and Afflictions, Dr. Samuel Koranteng Pipim, a Christian writer has captured the Christian’s need for patience in this way:
“Some Christians think they can suddenly obtain patience by “casting out the demons of impatience”! Others betray their impatience when they convince themselves and their “name-it and claim-it” followers that they can command God—‘in the name of Jesus’—to give them instant patience.
The truth, however, is that the only reason people even ask God for patience is that they are not honest enough to admit that they are frustrated with His “delay” in granting them an overnight success, instant wealth and health, quick solutions to their problems, a rapid recovery from their illnesses, and instant marriages or relationships.
Prayer for patience is almost an ultimatum—either God gives us right away what we want or we quit serving Him.
But God’s Word teaches that we cannot command God—or even the devil—for patience. Neither does the virtue of patience come overnight. Rather, it is developed over a period of time through a rather painful means” (Dr.Samuel Koranteng-Pipim, Patience in the Midst of Trials and Afflictions, pp. 37-38).
3. The Bible on Patience
What does the Bible say about patience and how do we obtain it?
According to the Scriptures, there are two kinds of patience: (i) patience as long suffering; and (ii) patience as endurance. The first deals with how we are to relate to inconveniences brought about by others or situations; the second concerns our attitude toward trials and afflictions. The first (longsuffering) is a passive Christian virtue that deals with persons. The second (endurance) is an active Christian virtue in respect of things.
English Bibles often use the same word for both types of patience. However, the original language of the New Testament, Greek, uses two different terms to emphasise the distinction between the two. The first word ismakrothumia. It means “slow to anger” or “to be long before one gets angry.” It is the word used by Paul when he says “Love is patient” (RSV; NIV), or as the King James Version of the English Bible puts it, “Charity suffereth long” – 1 Corinthians 13:4. It is the same word used when Paul urged the Thessalonian believers to “be patient toward all men” – 1 Thess. 5:14 (KJV).
The second word often translated patience is hupomene.It is sometimes rendered in our English Bibles as “endurance,” “fortitude” or “steadfastness.” This kind of patience has to do with how a Christian must deal with trials and afflictions. It depicts an object that is put under intense pressure, and being under that kind of pressure, remains intact, and does not break up. The Apostle Paul uses this word in 2 Corinthians 6:4-5 when he says, “But in all [things] approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience [hupomene], in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings” – 2 Corinthians 6:4-5 (KJV).
As Christians we are expected to possess both the passive and active kinds of patience—patience as longsuffering and patience as endurance. We must bear long with others and we must calmly endure trials and afflictions. Thus, the two terms are often used in the same passages of Scripture.
For example, in Colossians 1:11, the Apostle Paul urges us to walk according to “all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.” – (KJV). Again, in his second letter to Timothy, he urged young Timothy to cultivate both kinds of patience by following his “doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience – 2 Timothy 3:10 (KJV).
4. Developing Patience
The need for more patient people in our world will continue to increase even as its absence becomes more critical.
Strange as it may seem, patience is developed in the crucible of affliction, when a person willingly and totally surrenders to God’s will—whatever that will may be. The book cited earlier, Patience in the Midst of Trials and Afflictions, offers the following summary of what the Bible teachers about how to obtain patience:
The discipline of trials is God’s appointed means to obtain the stamina of patience – Romans 5:3, 4; James 1:2, 3. The Lord thus sends trials in our lives to build up our endurance—to make us stronger Christians.
One can think of patience as diamond, and trials as the process by which diamond is made. The reason diamond is the hardest rock is because it has been subjected to very intense heat and pressure for a very long period of time. After the ordeal, that ordinary rock becomes something very valuable and precious. Likewise, the Lord puts us under the pressure of trials in order that we might become spiritual diamonds. The more we are tested, the stronger we become, the more beautiful we will be, and the more useful we can be for God’s service. – James 1:4.
While trials produce patience; yet we need patience in trials. We cannot claim to have patience unless we have trials in our life, for trials test our patience. – 2 Corinthians 6:4, 5; 2 Thessalonians 1:4. We must therefore, not be discouraged by trials. Even though the discipline of trial is apt to make our hands hang down, and our knees grow feeble, we must gather stamina and run the spiritual race to the finish line. – Hebrews 12:12, 13.
But very few, if any, can willingly endure trials in order to obtain patience. For this to happen, we need the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit on the heart of the believing Christian. This is why patience is one of the components of the fruit of the Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit dwells within us, He transforms us from within and enables us to bear long with others and also remain calm under afflictions and trials. We desperately need the Holy Spirit, if we are to experience this power in our lives. It is only through the work of the Holy Spirit on the heart that we can bear the fruit of patience. The hymn below summarises patience for us in a profound way:
- Patience, O, ‘tis a grace divine, set from the God of peace and love,
That leans upon our Father’s arm, as through the wilds of life we rove.
- By patience, we serenely bear, the troubles of our mortal state,
And wait, contented, our discharge, nor think our glory comes too late.
- O, for this grace to aid us on, and arm with fortitude the breast,
Till, life’s tumultuous voyage o’er, we reach the shores of endless rest.
- Faith into vision shall resign, hope shall in full fruition die,
And patience in possession end, in the bright worlds of bliss on high.
To Ponder: Joseph Addison, the 17th Century English poet reminds us that “Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments; but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.” It’s good advice worth taking because the former circumstance we’ll have in abundance. It is, therefore, wise that we are armed with the right skills to be able to thrive under any adverse circumstance.
Stay blessed!
For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0302-772013 or 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
By: Dr Joyce,the author
Fruitful Living
Environmental Stewardship Is an Act of Worship: The Islamic Response to Climate Change and Environmental Degradation
Introduction
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. May His peace and blessings be upon the Holy Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), his household companions and all those who follow andsupport him till the last day.
Environmental degradation has emerged as one of the greatest threats to human existence in the twenty-first century. Across the globe, climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources continue to undermine livelihoods, public health, and economic development. Ghana is no exception. The devastating effects of illegal mining (galamsey), indiscriminate waste disposal, pollution of rivers and streams, deforestation, and changing climatic conditions are increasingly affecting agriculture, food security, access to clean water, and the wellbeing of present and future generations (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], 2023; United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], 2024).
Public discourse often presents environmental protection as the exclusive responsibility of governments, environmental scientists, and development agencies. While these stakeholders play indispensable roles, faith communities also possess a profound moral responsibility to protect the natural world. For Muslims, caring for the environment is not merely a civic obligation or a matter of public policy; it is an act of worship rooted in obedience to Allah and guided by the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The Qur’an consistently reminds humanity that the heavens, the earth, and everything within them belong to Allah. Human beings have not been granted unrestricted ownership over creation but have been entrusted with its care as Khalifah (stewards or vicegerents). Allah declares, “It is He who has made you successors upon the earth…” (Qur’an 6:165, Sahih International). This divine
appointment confers both privilege and accountability, requiring humanity to use natural resources responsibly, preserve ecological balance, and avoid actions that lead to destruction and injustice.
The Prophetic tradition further reinforces this responsibility by linking environmental care to acts of charity and righteousness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift (Sadaqah) for him” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2320). This remarkable teaching transforms environmental conservation from a secular concern into a continuous act of worship that benefits both humanity and all living creatures.
This article argues that Islam offers a comprehensive ethical framework for addressing contemporary environmental challenges. Drawing upon the Qur’an, authentic Hadith, principles of Islamic jurisprudence, and Ghana’s environmental realities, it demonstrates that environmental stewardship is an expression of faith, a fulfilment of humanity’s divine trust, and a practical pathway toward sustainable development. In an era marked by climate change and ecological
degradation, Muslims have both a spiritual and civic duty to safeguard Allah’s creation for the benefit of present and future generations.
Humanity as Khalifah: The Islamic Concept of Stewardship and Divine Trust
The Islamic worldview begins with the recognition that the universe is neither ownerless nor a product of chance. Everything in existence belongs to Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth. Human beings therefore do not possess absolute ownership over the environment; rather, they are entrusted with its care and responsible use. This trusteeship is encapsulated in the Qur’anic concept of Khalifah (vicegerency or stewardship), which defines humanity’s relationship with creation.
Allah announced this divine appointment when He said to the angels: “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority (Khalifah)” (Qur’an 2:30, Sahih International). This declaration established humanity as Allah’s representatives on earth, entrusted with managing natural resources in accordance with His guidance. The role of a Khalifah is therefore one of responsibility rather than domination, stewardship rather than exploitation, and service rather than selfish gain.
The Qur’an reinforces this responsibility by reminding humanity that its authority over the earth is temporary and subject to divine accountability. Allah says, “It is He who has made you successors upon the earth and has raised some of you above others in degrees [of rank] that He may try you through what He has given you” (Qur’an 6:165, Sahih International). Environmental resources— land, forests, rivers, minerals, wildlife, and the atmosphere—are thus part of a divine trust through which humanity is tested. The measure of success lies not in how much people extract from nature but in how faithfully they preserve and utilise it for the common good.
This concept is further strengthened in the Qur’an where Allah commands: “He has produced you from the earth and settled you in it” (Qur’an 11:61, Sahih International). Classical Muslim scholars have interpreted this verse as an instruction to cultivate, develop, and improve the earth rather than destroy it (Ibn Kathir, 2003). Productive agriculture, sustainable commerce, responsible urban
development, and environmental conservation are therefore consistent with Islamic teachings because they contribute to the flourishing of society while preserving the integrity of creation.
Closely linked to Khalifah is the concept of Amanah (trust). Allah entrusted humanity with responsibilities that carry profound moral consequences. Although the Qur’an discusses Amanah broadly, its principles extend to every responsibility placed upon humankind, including the protection of the natural environment. Since Allah is the ultimate Owner of creation, every river polluted, every forest destroyed, and every ecosystem degraded represents not merely environmental damage but a breach of a sacred trust.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized that accountability is a defining characteristic of leadership. He said, “Every one of you is a shepherd and every one of you is
responsible for his flock” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7138; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1829). While this Hadith primarily addresses social responsibility, its underlying principle extends to all forms of stewardship. Governments are responsible for environmental governance, traditional authorities for protecting communal lands, corporate institutions for sustainable business practices, religious leaders for cultivating environmental ethics, and individual citizens for preserving their immediate surroundings.
Islam also teaches that the natural world possesses intrinsic value because it reflects the signs (Ayat) of Allah. The Qur’an repeatedly invites believers to observe the alternation of day and night, the diversity of plants and animals, the mountains, the rivers, and the rain as evidence of Allah’s wisdom and power (Qur’an 3:190–191). Nature is therefore not merely a collection of economic
resources but a manifestation of divine artistry deserving of respect and protection. Destroying creation without just cause diminishes humanity’s appreciation of these signs and undermines its spiritual relationship with the Creator.
The concept of stewardship is further illuminated through the objectives of Islamic law (Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah). Classical scholars, particularly Al-Ghazali and later Al-Shatibi, identified five overarching objectives: the preservation of religion, life, intellect, lineage, and wealth (Auda, 2008). Environmental stewardship directly advances each of these objectives. Clean air and safe water protect human life; fertile land supports livelihoods and wealth; a healthy environment
safeguards future generations; and responsible use of natural resources enables communities to fulfil their religious obligations without unnecessary hardship. Conversely, environmental degradation threatens all five objectives by exposing populations to disease, undermining food security, destroying economic opportunities, and jeopardizing the welfare of future generations.
This understanding transforms environmental stewardship from an optional charitable activity into a religious obligation. Caring for creation is an expression of gratitude to Allah, fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah, and practical implementation of the higher objectives of Islamic law. Muslims are therefore called not only to avoid harming the environment but also to actively restore and protect it. Every tree preserved, every river protected, every piece of land rehabilitated, and every effort to promote sustainable development becomes part of fulfilling humanity’s covenant with Allah.
Recognising ourselves as Khalifah fundamentally changes how we view the environment. Rather than seeing nature as a limitless resource for exploitation, Islam teaches believers to regard it as a sacred trust to be preserved with wisdom, justice, moderation, and compassion. This theological foundation provides the basis for understanding why environmental destruction is condemned in
Islam as a form of corruption on earth.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai ,Kpone Katamanso Municipal Chief Imam
Certified Counsellor & Governance Expert
Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) provides affordable healthcare. By law (Act 852, 2012), every Ghanaian resident must belong to the NHIS by registering. Once registered, a family gains access to a wide range of medical services. From an Islamic perspective, having health coverage is part of fulfilling one’s social responsibility: the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) taught that
one who provides for a sick or needy person is like one who worships in solitude (in reward). An Imam might cite the hadith “Whoever relieves a believer’s distress of the distressful aspects of this world, Allah will rescue him from a difficulty of the difficulties of the Hereafter” (Muslim).
Encouraging congregants to obtain NHIS cards ensures children can get vaccines and families can afford clinic visits, fulfilling the Quranic ideal of community care. Imams can organise special registration drives after Jumu‘ah, so the poor and elderly receive help signing up, noting that Act 852 even allows community agents to assist citizens.
