The Fruit of the Spirit: Longsuffering

Galatians 5:22-23

I am not a super picky eater. I'm not big on fruit, but I can eat it if I must, and occasionally I enjoy it. One fruit I absolutely do not like is coconut. It is not so much the flavor as it is the texture. That is weird to me because there is nothing else that I have this hang up with. If coconut is in my mouth I have to get it out. I wish I did not have this hang up. There are some really good looking cakes that have coconut in/on them, but I can't eat them. I guess if I were a guest somewhere, and I was served coconut, to be polite, I might could suffer through it.

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

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Some translations interpret this to the English word "patience". That is an accurate translation, but I think it is a little weaker than "longsuffering". Think about that word for just a moment. I bet you are not picturing sitting calmly at the DMV or a doctor's office. Instead, it tends to bring about images of unjustly sitting in prison, or perhaps enduring chemo treatments. Perhaps you thought about being verbally abused by someone. Longsuffering takes us past inconvenience to physical or emotional pain.

You are probably now thinking about something that is going on, or has happened in the past in your own life. How did you do? Did you patiently endure that trial with patience? Are you patiently enduring? If not, you do not have this fruit of the Spirit. This is a really long sentence, but look at what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica:

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We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

II Thessalonians 1:3-8

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When it comes to being persecuted for the cause of Christ, it is essential that we learn to do so patiently. Paul teaches us how to do so as he commends the church in Thessalonica.

1. Growing faith

2. Love for the saints (love endures all things I Corinthians 13:7)

He also encourages them.

1. He acknowledges their suffering

• Persecution

• Tribulation (literally their squeezing)

2. Patient suffering is evidence of righteousness in them

3. God will judge their persecutors

4. God will reward their faithfulness.

No one likes suffering, especially at the hands of another person. As Christians, we do not rejoice that we are persecuted, but we can rejoice in the fact that people see so much of Jesus in us that they treat us like they treated Him. We can also rejoice when we endure patiently and righteously because it is evidence of the work of God's Spirit (fruit) in us. I have heard people say, "Don't pray for patience because you only get patience through trials". While this is true, how is not praying for patience going for you? Do you really think you have any fewer trials? I tell people, "The trials are going to come. You should go ahead and ask God for the patience so that the trials accomplish something good in your life".

Father, none of us want to suffer. However, we know that in this fallen world, suffering is part of life. This is not Heaven. I pray that we would all bear the fruit of Your Spirit as we endure the trials and sufferings of this life. Helps us to endure with patience. Helps us to be Longsuffering.