Longsuffering
And there i sat, day after day … the sun came up and the sun went down … the seasons came and went … days went by … waiting to hear from the Lord. Three years and not a word, not even a whisper in the tree tops … oh yea, there were dreams of destiny from time to time but they were dim and fleeting. Do you think God tests you so He’ll know what you’re made of, or, so you’ll know what you’re made of? Do you think the Lord took you to the desert to die just for the sport of watching the light slowly go out of your eyes? Nope. It is my hope we know Him better than that. Is it really being abandoned, isolated and alone, or is it time alone with God to build faith for our future destiny? Remember … while we are in difficult circumstances and we’re practicing our longsuffering, Jesus did say, “Always with you” and “Never forsake you.” Ever. Longsuffering.
It most certainly, never, never, never is the Lord to leave you with no promise and no support. Ever. And He ALWAYS keeps His promises. Always.
Abram believed God, and became Abraham, God’s covenant partner. The Lord had Himself a man who would believe for the impossible.
One of Abraham’s first impossible situations was that the Lord was going to bring His only Son through the line of Abraham … but then, Abraham needed a son, and he didn’t have one.
In this case, God waited until the situation was impossible before moving, not being the God of the final hour but the God of “right on time”. God promised to make Abraham the “father of many nations,” yet Abraham didn’t even have a son … not a one … let alone enough to make a tribe, much less many nations.
Abraham’s situation looked so impossible, he couldn’t see how God was going to do it. It says in Genesis 17:17, “Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”” The word there for “laughed” isn’t meant as a gentle chuckle, it means literally that they “giggled and chuckled incredulously”. The Lord’s promise seemed so outrageous to them it was laughable. Yet time went by and God did the impossible. Sarah did in fact conceive, and brought forth Isaac, the son of promise.
God waited. It probably seemed like forever from the time God made that promise, until He brought forth the son of that promise. The Lord is longsuffering, and it’s one of our fruits of the Spirit. He is always working behind the scenes on our behalf, and just because we don’t see His working doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Longsuffering – patiently enduring while diligently clinging to the promise that God will do what He said He would do, and when He does, it will be a testimony to all who see. In the meantime, we develop an understanding of the Lord, coming to a better perception of what is in our hearts along with knowing God’s details. Longsuffering.
i believe Abraham understood that his God was the God of the impossible. Even when he went to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, he was expecting God to do something miraculous. Even though the Bible is silent about this, i’ve wondered, what did Abraham expect God to do? On a side note, when the Bible is silent about things, we can speculate for sure, but the fact still remains that we can’t build sound doctrine from a platform of silence. In the meantime of waiting for God to accomplish His word to us, we must hold the line and not faint, believing the Lord will do all that He has said and more.
Maybe Abraham expected God to raise Isaac from the dead, i don’t know … but whatever he expected, we do know Abraham said he and Isaac would both be coming back as noted from Genesis 22:5.
Abraham knew his God was more than able to take care of any impossible situation. Isaac was the son of promise, and no matter what, God would make His promise come to pass.
What impossible situation are you facing today? i’m sure some of us have waited for, what feels like a ridiculous amount of time. Are you determined though, to follow the Lord regardless of how things turn out? Remember, God is still solving impossibilities for us, just like he did for Abraham.
A dear friend of mine said he and his wife were in a terrible fix, although, by the skin of their teeth their needs were being met with nothing to spare, all in all, they didn’t feel like the Lord was anywhere to be found. He felt exhausted and his wife was near to fainting. He said they’d been desperately praying for months and months, that they had diligently fasted, fervently repented, declared good things, rebuked unseen bad things, claimed promises, and that his hope and faith were worn down to dried out bones. Yet there he sat and nothing had changed. One day i called him and he said for months he’d been begging the Lord to come and save him, then in a most pitiful voice he said, “I feel like a little boy at the orphanage waiting for his father to come pick him up, and day after day, no one shows up and there is just the sound of wind, empty halls, and rain against the window panes.” i wept.
From where i was sitting, even in all of his terrible circumstance, at the core of his person was a little light of hope that kept rekindling itself somehow, like a flame bound to a coal and it just refused to go out. He kept holding on to the Lord knowing that man, himself, can fix nothing and really only God could help. Often, we all have nobly said that we “know” only God can fix things, but yet, often, we are a nervous wreck and can’t sleep because what we say we know and what we r-e-a-l-l-y know are two different things. Mind you, my friend didn’t do anything wrong. He’s not a crook, or a liar, he’s not a manipulator or a transgressor … he’s not greedy and stupid … and i’m saying that for any listeners who would feel the need to go down the list of sins as to why unfortunate things happen to good people. Some would easily throw out a “one scripture fixes all” statement, but that doesn’t help. “One and done” isn’t a good answer.
i’ll tell you what i see, and i hope my friend is reading. i see a man and woman who are longsuffering and holding on to Jesus, knotting their hands in the hem of His garment for all their worth, determined to go with the Lord; i see two people who keep waiting on the Lord because they truly believe Jesus will come and lift their hearts, and He will; i see two people who are kind and gentle, smart and intuitive who love honesty and truth; i see the fruit of the spirit in them and it’s how i know they are in the fellowship of the saints. i know they don’t feel much like that considering where they are right now, and i understand that when we get in a terrible spot and see no way out, life seems impossible. But, it doesn’t matter, in the moment, how we got there but more that God knows exactly where we are and He will come and rescue us.
Friends, you who are in desperate places, i admire your patient endurance and your determination to not be moved, your longsuffering, for it’s not a test so God will know what you’re made of, but so you will know what you’re made of for the purpose of going where people are the most desperate and giving them hope.
Longsuffering is that quality of self-restraint in the face of offense and personal challenge which does not hastily retaliate or run swiftly to chastisement; it is the opposite of anger, and is associated with mercy, and is used of God,
Exodus 34:6, “And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,”
i believe the Lord wants to develop the grace of longsuffering in our lives. i must say i’m not, by any means, thrilled at learning this grace, nor am i enthusiastic about, metaphorically, being at the bottom of the ocean in order to learn to trust God for my breath … but … IF God really does know best, IF He really is who we are following, then learning longsuffering isn’t about enduring a situation, but more about clinging to Jesus. The Fruits of the Spirit are more than a thing to do but someone to be. If it’s just a “thing to do” it just diminishes the vastness of God and reduces us to rule keepers. The heart of the Lord is that we’d be changed.
Getting wisdom and grace are often acquired through trials and difficulties, typically through situations rife with unfortunate circumstances and not something we would wish on anyone, but truly, it is wisdom and grace possessed in no other way except to “go through” deep water with the Lord. Often, we find ourselves in great distress because we have heard from the Lord and then WE re-decide His directions, and then we re-decide our re-decision when the path is too steep to continue. It’s like the Lord asks us to climb a mountain. We sing our best worship songs and strike out on the upward trail. Hours later, when we’re hot, tired, and thirsty … we’ve stopped singing and are out of breath. Then half way up the mountain, we re-decide everything and invent a word from the Lord saying, “Things aren’t well with me, i believe the Lord wants me to go back down.” Longsuffering says we stay the course and rely on God to do what only God can do. i realize that is easy to say, but once again, when deep water is coming over the side, the wind is howling, and ocean spray is stinging our skin, it’s not so easy to be the heroic figure standing tall and strong as we may have imagined … unless … in our times with the Lord we have learned longsuffering. We truly love the idea of being a hero, but the reality is, staying the course, being determined to stand strong, and finishing the race actually is the stuff of heroes.
Through the trials which we have walked, fixed firm in our hearts that the Lord is with us, He will never leave us, and that we will follow after Jesus no matter what the storms do or how limited our understanding and vision are. Longsuffering says that we’ve learned to restrain our inclination to knee-jerk reactions and doesn’t abandon our mission without careful consideration of the circumstances and confirmation from the Lord.
Colossians 1:11, “… strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;”
In the Old Testament, many times patience can be used where the translators used longsuffering, the intent of the word changes, some, based on the words before and after it’s usage. But in the New Testament, especially Colossians 1:11 and 2 Timothy 3:10, patience and longsuffering are used in the same sentence, revealing to us that there is a difference.
Patience is a hyper persistence to abide in Christ while waiting on God, and longsuffering is long passion with fierce determination to not be moved. Now that’s a really important definition to hear, so i’m going to say it again: Patience is a hyper persistence to abide in Christ while waiting on God, and longsuffering is long passion (to breath hard after) with fierce determination to not be moved. As with kindness and compassion, which are both masculine nouns, here we have another righteous noun pair, longsuffering and patience, which are feminine nouns … they are like two sisters who go together. If we find longsuffering acting in our hearts, we can rest assured patience is very nearby.
There are quite a few pairs which the Lord has put together and don’t act independently of each other. To name a few, hope and purpose, kindness and compassion, and longsuffering and patience.
If Hope comes to visit, make two beds in your spare room because her sister purpose is staying also.
If you set a place at the table for kindness, set two, because his brother, compassion, expects to join the party too … from God’s perspective you can’t have one without the other because, for example, kindness without compassion is called deceit.
If we set sail with longsuffering, patience insists on being at the helm also. Patience says i will abide in Christ while we wait, and longsuffering says i refuse to budge from my place of forbearance while patience does her work.
i figure since God is longsuffering, it makes perfect sense to me that if the Spirit of God dwells within us then He will begin to demonstrate or manifest His characteristics within us as a fruit of the Spirit. Some church folks think when the Lord inhabits their heart, somehow their journey will be blue skies, gentle breezes, moonbeams and merry-go-rounds, and that’s simply not so. i don’t believe the idea of longsuffering and patience is in our nature unless it’s to get something we want, in fact, i’m pretty sure that mankind, left to their own thinking, is nothing but a downward spiral and we exclusively need Jesus to find the updraft necessary to fly beyond the gravitational pull of this world. In our society we tend to split things out into their own little categories. It is a method used to measure how well we’re doing, it makes a calculatable outcome easier to predict with a measurable probability of success. God sees the fruits of the Spirit quite differently though.
2 Timothy 3:10, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, and perseverance”.
Paul doesn’t just equate purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, and perseverance as separate things, but as a lifestyle and doctrine that define us. Again, fruits of the Spirit aren’t merely a thing to do, but someone to be. Longsuffering, along with the other fruits of the Spirit, are more than just beliefs we hold. Literally they are principles of governing policy. Longsuffering and patience are part of what governs our appetites. Be honest about what is really in your heart: Who or what governs your appetites, and do you know what, how, and why you allow those things or that person to define you?
Romans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Is longsuffering essential? i believe, Yes.
Longsuffering and patience are among the things which are indispensable. They are principle among first things. Necessary because Christ has forgiven us, therefore we must be longsuffering and willing to forgive each other.
Colossians 3:12-13, “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: kindness, compassion, humility, longsuffering, bearing with each other, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as God forgave you.”
Longsuffering is necessary for maintaining the unity of the body of Christ in order that we would walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, Ephesians 4:2-3, “ … with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Without longsuffering, the transgressions we commit against one another will quickly destroy the very unity for which Christ died. If we watch the congregation more than we look at Jesus, anyone could easily find enough offense to lose their footing. It is easy to find fault with other believers, but it is God in us to be longsuffering and patient.
Longsuffering and patience are supremely necessary for those who would be in leadership. In the days of the Roman Empire, soldiers were often not paid in currency, but with salt, thus the phrase “worth your salt” is more easily understandable. So, as a leader who is worth their salt, we must have longsuffering and patience with people. Those in leadership will often find themselves first to start because they’re leading the way, and last to finish because they’ve stayed behind to ensure everyone got across to safety. i marvel at how often the very sheep you help are the very first to bite, and we must be longsuffering and patient with our people. And yes, sheep bites hurt. No servant of the Lord can faithfully correct those in opposition, without the character quality of longsuffering and patience.
2 Timothy 2:24-25, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient, in humility instructing those that oppose themselves…”
One time, foolishly, i put a tablespoon of fresh Oregano in my mouth … it was so overwhelming i quickly spit it out and immediately tried to wash the taste out. It was horrible. Well, like many seasonings, i don’t think anyone would want to put them directly in their mouth, even so, they are needed to bring out the best flavor of everything else they come in contact with. So too, no one i know enjoys the bitter taste of affliction or trial yet they are necessary if we are to enjoy the righteous fragrance that longsuffering and patience rewards us with.
A man was walking through the grocery store with a screaming baby in the shopping cart. A woman nearby noticed that time and again the man would calmly say: “Keep calm, James. Keep calm, James.” Finally, in admiration for the man’s longsuffering and patience as the child continued to wail, the woman walked up to him and said: “Sir, I really admire you for your patience with baby James,” to which the man replied, drawing himself up to full height: “Madam, I am James!”
i believe longsuffering and patience are like the ballast in the bottom of a ship, they keep us from going belly up when the wind is howling and a stormy trial is at hand. When you’re running against the wind, and the darkness is closing in, your trust in the Lord, and willingness to be longsuffering and patient will always bring you to a safe haven.
If we don’t learn anything in our afflictions, it’s just stupid … there is no point in useless suffering … people who don’t learn anything in their afflictions seem to only have old age and dying to look forward to, and honestly, we shouldn’t worry about getting old, it doesn’t last long. Galatians 3:4, “did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing?” If we’ve thought our terrible situations are all for nothing, we are wrong … we are always changed when the Lord walks with us through our afflictions.
Longsuffering and patience don’t happen overnight, nor is it without cost, but God has a purpose in developing them in us. James 1:2-4, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”
Be strong and courageous, let God do His work developing the fruit of the Spirit: longsuffering and patience in you. You will be more at peace and so will everyone around you.
“May the LORD bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you.” Amen.