The fruit of the Spirit: Longsuffering
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering … (Galatians 5:22)
The first three attributes of the fruit of the Spirit are love, joy and peace. They have been described as Godward. The next three, longsuffering, kindness and goodness, are demonstrated towards others. There are two key words used for patience in the New Testament, the one expressing patience under trial, the other usually referring to tolerance towards difficult people. The one used by Paul in describing the fruit of the Spirit is more often used to emphasise patience towards other people. It is the thought of longsuffering. Without the experience of God’s love, joy and peace in our hearts, showing longsuffering towards others is always going to be a tall order. But if we live in fellowship with God, daily seeking His presence, understanding and doing His will, then He will equip us to express patience towards everyone.
A brother once spent a lot of time writing a letter to another brother in Christ, whom he found particularly challenging. He felt it necessary to tell him a few home truths. When he proudly presented the letter to his wife for her comments, she read it carefully and then said, “This is a very well written letter. Now tear it up and throw it on the fire!” He was wise enough to follow her sound advice. When people rub us up the wrong way, irritating and annoying us, we generally go through a process. First, we try to subdue our inner feelings. This raises our blood pressure. If the problem persists we openly express our irritation and annoyance. Finally, we lose our temper. Some of us move quickly through this sequence of events. Others miss out the first two steps completely! Our relationship with God is vital to our relationship with others. If we are happy in the presence of God, patience, consideration and interest in others will flow out and replace sterile attempts to control ill will. We will begin to act towards others as God has acted towards us.
Peter was a man who always spoke his mind. At the end of his life, he writes in vivid terms of the wickedness of the world. In the final chapter of his second letter, he writes about the Lord’s return and how people over time would scoff and say, “Where is the promise of His coming?” Then he writes, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Notice those words, “longsuffering toward us”. Peter’s age did not diminish his recollections of the Lord Jesus; it sharpened them. He remembered so clearly seeing the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and hearing the Father’s voice saying, “This is my beloved Son.” And he remembered so very clearly the longsuffering of the Lord Jesus towards him and how it had transformed him from a brash, self-confident fisherman into the kindly shepherd to the flock of God he became.
The Father wants to see the same transformation of each of His children into the likeness of His beloved Son. That is why Peter’s last words to us are, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, that grace makes us longsuffering just like our Saviour and our Father.
