Riverside, Calif. (Feb. 17, 2016) – "You ought to have patience because God has all sorts of patience with you," Dr. Eddie Pate ('80) told California Baptist University students at chapel Feb. 17.

Pate, senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Barstow, has also worked overseas with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention for 11 years and directed the Kim School of Global Missions at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

The consequences of impatience can be drastic," he said. "You want to have a broken relationship with somebody? Get impatient with them. You want financial disaster? Then decide you're going to buy what you can't afford right now."

In the New Testament, when the Apostle Paul writes to the churches, he repeatedly tells them to be patient with each other, Pate said. In I Corinthians 13, when describing love, it says love is patient.

"Patience is the ability to remain calm even when you have been provoked, even in the midst of trouble, even in the midst of difficulty," he said.

Being patient is a choice, Pate said, because everyone is in charge of their own emotions.

"If you're in a situation that's stressing your patience, then stop, pull back and get a better look on things," he said. "When you think about it, most of the things that you get angry about really aren't that big of a deal."

Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, Pate reminded his audience. If believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, they will be patient with people, with issues and with trouble in life.

"Unlock the inner super power that's in you – the Holy Spirit," he said. "If you're a follower of Christ, you've got this special resource in you."