Week 4 Fruit of the Spirit: Longsuffering (Patience)

Hello everyone!! We have been journeying through the fruit of the Spirit for the past 3 weeks. So far, we have explored love, joy, and peace. Today, we will discuss longsuffering (patience) and how we can patiently endure as believers. Additionally, we will explore how it is intertwined with fruit from the previous weeks: love and peace. Oftentimes, we see the fourth fruit of the Spirit labeled as patience. But I am choosing to use the King James version, which lists it as longsuffering. I have included definitions of the term so we have the correct understanding of the word. In my own words, I would describe longsuffering as being an enduring type of patience through the troubles and hardships of life. It is persevering and not easily angered, even when faced with difficult people or circumstances. I will break down what we need to patiently endure. This is not an exhaustive list but some suggestions that will help you. It’s divided it into five areas: (1) genuine love for one another, (2) the desire to maintain peaceful relationships, (3) forbearance with others, (4) the decision to walk in forgiveness, and (5) slow to anger.

What We Need to Patiently Endure

Genuine Love for One Another

To patiently endure as believers, we need genuine love. Love that is fake and forced will not enable us to exercise longsuffering. Rather, it will cause us to continually look for reasons or excuses of why we can not walk in love with one another. But in Romans 12:9, it emphasizes the necessity for our love to be sincere. We must confront and resolve any problems we have with displaying love if we truly desire to be longsuffering. As followers of Christ, we are commanded to love one another. It is not a suggestion but a requirement for all who are born again believers. We can not afford to walk around with hate, resentment, bitterness, or strife in our hearts. We must look to our Father to examine our hearts in order to get to the root of what is hindering us from genuinely loving others. When He reveals what is in our hearts, we should be intentional in resolving it rather than pretending everything is fine. We can seek His guidance in working out the issue. We don’t have to do it in our own strength. When we are truly repentant, sorrowful of what is hidden in our heart, He helps us in the matter. Through the leading of His Spirit, we are able to rectify the wrong and put things in Godly order, enabling us to walk in genuine love.

The Desire to Maintain Peaceful Relationships

The next area that is necessary for believers to patiently endure is having the desire to maintain peaceful relationships. When our aspiration is to have peace within our relationships, that is half the battle. It is a matter of having the right mindset. We can have a mindset of peace and unity or one of strife and discord. Everyone doesn’t have the same way of thinking pertaining to our interactions with each other. Some people thrive off drama and chaos. They immaturely live to meddle in other people’s lives and stir up mess. Others who are mature, operating with Godly wisdom genuinely pursue peaceful relationships. In Psalm 34:14, we are instructed to seek peace and pursue it. As believers, we should be peacemakers, not sowers of discord, strife, and division. That behavior goes against how we are called to live. When we maintain peace with others, it enables us to exercise longsuffering. If our focus remains on peace, we can endure through the difficult times in our relationships with others.

Forbearance with Others

The third area that is instrumental in believers exercising longsuffering is forbearance. As believers, we need to be able to patiently restrain ourselves in difficult situations. There are times that test our character and our ability to exercise self-restraint. When they come, we may be pushed to our limit. We will have to face challenging situations with others that force us to exercise restraint in spite of the person looking for a reaction desiring to pull us out of Godly character. When we choose to operate in forbearance, we are not reactive to instigators, agitators, and arguers. With the assistance of the Holy Spirit, we are able to sustain our character while working toward maintaining peace, if possible. Also, in being forbearing with one another, we do so in love. It requires walking in genuine love to choose peace and to deal with others in patient self-restraint during trying circumstances. With forbearance, it leads to the need for us to walk in forgiveness as believers.

The Decision to Walk in Forgiveness

In this area, it takes each of us making a mature decision to forgive. We will have circumstances where we are provoked either intentionally or unintentionally.  If we choose to walk in unforgiveness, it restricts us from being able to love authentically, and likewise, we may not desire to pursue peace with others. Staying in a state of unforgiveness prevents us from operating in longsuffering when we face challenges and hardships. Just as we are required to love one another, the same applies to forgiving others. If we hope to patiently endure, we can not ignore the need to forgive. Walking in unforgiveness is a major hindrance in our lives that has dire consequences that are often overlooked. If we choose not to forgive others of their faults (whatever they have done or said to us), God will not forgive us of our sins. No matter what conflict or offense has occurred, we need to forgive. It is not excusable for us to stay in unforgiveness as believers. We must forgive and release them to God. It is our responsibility to forgive and let YAH handle the rest.  We can not be vengeful and look to repay evil with evil. We must release them to the Father. Forgive, release, and let YAH handle the rest.

Slow to Anger

In the last area, our Father models for us being slow to anger. We should not be hot-headed, quick-tempered people. Throughout the scriptures, we are instructed to be slow to anger and to rule over our spirit. In life, we will face troubles, hardships, and people that cause us to become angry. It is unrealistic to think we will never be angry. But the difference is, as believers, we should not be easily provoked to anger. Both minor and major conflicts, disagreements, or inconveniences with others should not lead us to a place of being enraged or wrathful. We shouldn’t be overtaken by anger. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: ²⁷ neither give place to the devil.” To be longsuffering, we must be slow to anger. We should follow James’s instructions and be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. I have looked at James 1:19-20 as reminding believers to listen twice as much as we speak. We have two ears and one mouth. Listen more, talk less.  If we take the time to hear and understand what the person is saying, it will help us to be less reactive, argumentative, and defensive. We need to use Godly wisdom not to become reactive when challenges arise or when we have to deal with difficult people. Remain calm, listen to understand, and then address the situation/person with maturity and a level head.

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Recap

What is Needed to Patiently Endure

1. Genuine Love for One Another
   • God models how we are to love. (Agape love)
     • Sacrificial, selfless unconditional love
   • Let our love for others be sincere, not fake or forced.
2. The Desire to Maintain Peaceful Relationships
   • Seek and pursue peace with others
   • As believers, we are called to be peacemakers, not sowers of discord, strife, and division.
3. Forbearance with Others
   • Patiently restrain (control) ourselves in the midst of challenges
     • Don’t become reactive, but maintain our peace. (Stay calm, cool, and collected)
   • Forbear with one another in love
4. The Decision to Walk in Forgiveness
   • It is up to each of us to choose if we will walk in forgiveness or unforgiveness.
   • Staying in a state of unforgiveness prevents us from operating in longsuffering when we face challenges and hardships.
   • When we forgive, release the person, and let YAH handle the rest. (Forgive, release, and give it to God)
5. Slow to Anger
   • Learn from YAH’s example of being slow to anger.
   • During a conflict or disagreement, be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.
     • Two ears and one mouth: Listen twice as much as you speak
     • Listen to understand, not just to respond

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Think About It: Personal Reflection

• Am I exercising longsuffering in my life regarding my relationships with others?
• Are there areas in my life God is stretching me to have a greater ability to patiently endure?

**Scriptures used from the authorized King James Bible

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