LET patience… James 1:2-4 (New Living Translation)  2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. I’ve read this verse many times.  I’ve always assented to the fact that trials build endurance.  But I’d never noticed that little word – “let.”  It’s a choice.  Whether patience – or endurance – develop in our character, is a choice. We live in a society that is characterized by ATTITUDE.  People are proud of their bad attitudes and wear them like badges.  It’s as though they are begging for someone to do them something so that they may prove how big and bad they can behave. Even Christian circles seem to have adopted this type of attitude. Galatians 5:19-26 (New Living Translation)  19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!  24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. Be a fruit inspector.  What kind of fruit do you find in your life?  We are to be bold and confident in the Spirit, but not mean and worldly and ungodly. **Lord Jesus I want others to know that I am a Believer by the fruit in my life.  Teach me to give the Spirit control and not walk in the flesh.  Amen.