The Fruit of the Spirit (Longsuffering)

April 1, 2023

The Fruit of the Spirit (Longsuffering)

What does longsuffering actually mean?

When we think of the word longsuffering we often think of the state of being patient and able to tolerate difficult circumstances and situations without being easily angered. What does longsuffering mean when being referenced as the fruit of the Spirit in the book of Galatians? Let’s take a look at the verses of Scripture so that we have an idea. Galatians 5:22-23 states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

The word longsuffering used in these passages of Scripture is the Greek word makrothymia which means: patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, slowness in avenging wrongs. As we put this fruit of the Spirit into perspective we have a clearer understanding of what the Lord actually means when He explains that we are to exhibit the attribute called longsuffering.

If you’ve ever taken a step back and analyzed the things that have happened in your life there are some powerful situations that will always stand out to you. Why? In one way or another those events have shaped and molded you into the person that you are today whether they were good or bad. The Lord never expects us to remain the same but is consistently wishing for us to grow and mature as believers of Jesus Christ.

One way that He does that is establishes our patience or longsuffering. Before you became a Christian more than likely you were quick to retaliate, quick to respond, and quick to react. The more and more that you allow the Holy Spirit to have complete rule and reign in your life, the least likely you will display these negative emotions. You will know that the fruit of the Lord’s Spirit is being demonstrated in your character because you will no longer desire the things of your flesh.

You will think before you speak, it will take a whole lot to get you angry, and you will radiate love to those that exude hatred. There will be a clear distinction between you and someone that doesn’t have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. You will have your emotions under control because you are being completely led by the Holy Spirit.

Another version of the word longsuffering is the ability to endure and have perseverance through the trials and tribulations that you will have to undergo in life. It is one thing when you face a difficult situation that lasts a short period of time, but what about the circumstances that you face that seem to last a lifetime? Or what about the storms that you suffer through that are back to back to back?

How do you cope when you come out of this and then here comes that and there seems to be no end in sight? Do you buckle under the pressure and backslide and retreat back to your old ways? The ability to fully understand what longsuffering really means is important and it is what the Lord is trying to teach us through His Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will give you the strength to endure those long-lasting trials and tribulations but the question is: do you quit before he can instill the resilience and stamina needed for your next level? Unfortunately a lot of Christians don’t make it through those difficult and trying times. That is why this fruit of the Spirit that we call longsuffering is so vital to your walk as a believer of Jesus Christ.

I am going to go over some passages of Scripture to give you an idea of why we need this fruit established in our lives.

Ephesians 4:1-2

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.”

Here we have the Apostle Paul describing some of the characteristics that one would display if he or she was taking their life as a Christian seriously. One of the most difficult things to do is to radiate love towards people that exude nothing but hatred towards you. That is where the word longsuffering comes into play. Jesus Christ displayed this fruit of the Spirit over and over again during His entire ministry.

He showed love and compassion for those that wanted to see Him dead, can you imagine what that would’ve felt like? Right up until the day that He died on the cross for every one of us, he was still showing love for others. Luke 23:34 is very telling, it states, “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

The words that Jesus spoke out “…forgive them, for they do not know what they do…” discloses everything. The fact of the matter is that people that are disrespecting you, mistreating you, talking behind your back, etc. really don’t know why they behave the way that they do. Life is completely spiritual and whether you believe it or not, the enemy is operating in the lives of most people in the world today.

He will influence others to show adverse behaviors towards you because what that does is provoke you to retaliate and react. Understanding this fact, you can view another person’s actions from this lens and it will prevent you from wanting to seek revenge. Allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit to develop so deeply in your heart that someone else’s attitude and behavior doesn’t have a negative effect on you.

Paul is clear in these verses of Scripture when he mentions the words “worthy of the calling which you were called.” When you become a Christian you are a new creation, old things have passed away and you become new, 2 Corinthians 5:17. You came to Christ one way, but He does not expect you to stay that way. As you spiritually mature your actions should be maturing as well.

You no longer get angry as easily as you used to, you don’t want to snap back every chance that you get, you should be more mindful of the way that you speak, and you should be more forgiving when it comes to another person’s negative actions towards you. That is how you will know that the Holy Spirit is truly doing a work in you. The fruit of God’s Spirit that we call longsuffering (patience) should be completely evident in your life.

Colossians 1:9-11

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.”

As we take a deeper look at these verses of Scripture we can see the support and wisdom that Paul is giving to the brethren and faithful members of the church in Colossae. He was writing this letter to let them know that he was praying for them. Even though he had not gone there to visit the church first hand he knew of all of the trials and tribulations that they were enduring as believers of Jesus Christ.

Surrounded by false leaders and doctrine attempting to sway them away from the true teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ he knew how difficult it would be for them remain strong in their faith. One of the key words that he uses in these passages out of the bible is the word longsuffering. If there was one thing that Paul knew it was how to endure through prolonged tribulation.

Having gone through persecution and harassment at just about every single city that he went to, he knew what it would take to withstand mistreatment that had no justification. He goes on to let them know that they would need to be “…strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power…” The fact is that it is only through the power of God that they were going to be able to weather the storms that were coming their way.

It was imperative that they gain knowledge of God, His wisdom, and the understanding of spiritual things. Paul categorizes longsuffering with the word patience and attaches it to having joy. This goes back to the verses of Scripture James 1:2-3 when James writes, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

The only way that a person can have true joy through their trials and tribulations is if they have the Holy Spirit’s fruit firmly established in their hearts. Otherwise, the testing that you will go through can weaken your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our natural mind cannot comprehend expressing joy during adversity but when you keep your eyes focused on the Lord, He becomes your strength.

1 Peter 5:10

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

This is a very revealing verse of Scripture when it comes to understanding the concept of longsuffering. In order to completely put it into perspective we have to take a look at the verses that the Apostle Peter wrote just before this one. 1 Peter 5:8-9 states, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”

Peter is writing this letter to the persecuted Christians in various churches in Asia Minor. He is giving them an idea of who their real enemy is, the devil who is like a lion ready to devour. He knew that they would have to endure persecution as they lived their lives as believers of Jesus Christ. The only way that they were going to be able to continue moving forward victoriously is if their faith remained immovable.

He gives them words of encouragement letting them know that they are not the only ones in this spiritual battle and in fact they all were. Every believer of Christ was going to have to endure persecution in one way or another. That is why he mentions the word “sufferings” plural instead of just suffer because he wanted them to understand that developing the fruit of the Spirit longsuffering was going to be critical during these trying times.

Going back to the referenced Scripture mentioned in 1 Peter 5:10. Peter discloses to them the outcome of their longsuffering and why it was so necessary. He states the words, “…perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” In other words the back to back suffering that they were experiencing was put there to: mend or complete (perfect), to place firmly and make stable (establish), to make strong (strengthen), to lay the foundation (settle you).

All of these words that Peter is using in this verse of Scripture were necessary for the Christians to build the faith needed to make it through the trials that they were undergoing. The same applies to the lives of every single Christian today. Some of the adversities that you go through in your life are put there to perfect you, strengthen you, establish you, and settle you.

The Holy Spirit is the One that is going to give you the endurance to sustain the ferocious storms that you are going to have to withstand. The ability to remain encouraged in the Lord and His Word, maintain solid unmovable faith, and trust that God is going to see you through every hardship is how you will know that the Fruit of the Spirit called longsuffering or patience is working in your life.

Conclusion

As Christians we should consistently be learning and growing never remaining stagnant. Your spiritual maturity level should not be the same as it was this time a year ago. You should steadily be progressing and a part of that progression is allowing the Spirit of God to mold and shape your heart and mind to be more and more like the heart and mind of Christ.

That is why the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 is so vital because it reveals some of the character traits needed to live your life as a Christian effectively. Longsuffering is one of the nine fruits listed and it is one of the most difficult ones to develop. Who wants to go through ongoing suffering? Who wants to show patience to those that are hateful towards you?

It will not be easy but the Lord is showing us through His Word why this characteristic is so needed. We will not be able to get to a place where life’s circumstances don’t take us out if we do not learn how to endure. We will not be able to truly love our brothers and sisters if we do not master patience. Every fruit of the Spirit plays a significant role as Christians including longsuffering.

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

The Fruit of the Spirit (Peace)

The Fruit of the Spirit (Joy)

The Fruit of the Spirit (Love)

Overcoming the Spirit of Fear-Part 1

Overcoming the Spirit of Fear-Part 2

Power of Prayer (The Family Unit and Intercessory Prayer)

Power of Prayer (Praying in Your Heavenly Language)

Power of Prayer (Principles of Prayer)

Power of Prayer (Praying the Scriptures)

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 1

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 2