by Steven J. Wallace
Synopsis: Long suffering is a fruit of the Spirit that empowers Christians to rise above his surroundings. God is “full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering and abundant in mercy and truth” (Ps. 86:15). Are we?
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 (Col. 1:9-11, NKJV).
The religion of Christ brings power to people who hear and obey His message. Jesus said such individuals are like a house with a solid foundation that will not collapse in a torrential storm (Luke 6:47-48). It is a religion that lifts the brokenhearted and, at the same time, casts down the proud. Jesus spoke of an unshakable joy—a lasting joy that the world is not powerful enough to snatch away (John 16:20-22). That is power!
Likewise, forming a disposition that is longsuffering is not weak and passive but rather empowering. The trait is identified as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. In Colossians 1, we read that it is a trait strengthened by the Lord through the knowledge and spiritual understanding found in His will. Only Christianity demonstrates how one can fall under a trial and unjustly suffer wounds from others while retaining a thriving measure of joy. Jesus manifested these qualities on the cross, even as men tortured Him and took His life (Heb. 12:1-3; Luke 23:34).
While things like hatred, bitterness, and envy lead us to behave foolishly and look weak, longsuffering is a demonstration of power that becomes fully revealed to others when troubles arise.
If God were not longsuffering, none of us could be saved or be here to talk about it. He was longsuffering in the days of Noah, providing him time to build the ark in the midst of a very wicked and corrupt climate (1 Pet. 3:20). Nehemiah reflects on the longsuffering God had during the wilderness wandering: “They refused to obey, and they were not mindful of Your wonders that You did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion, they appointed a leader to return to their bondage. But You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them” (Neh. 9:17). In seeing the sinful actions of men, we also become aware of the measured and controlled response by God. God is also longsuffering today. He demonstrated this by saving Saul of Tarsus and establishing him in the ministry (1 Tim. 1:12-16). This proves God’s willingness to save all who are lost today.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). The foundation for what is truly good is God (Matt. 19:17). The state or quality of what is truly good has been evident since the creation of the universe: “God saw the light, that it was good” (Gen. 1:4; cf. 1:10, 12, etc.). It is through goodness that the foolishness of men is put to silence: “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God” (1 Pet. 2:15-16).
Sadly, some reward evil for good (Prov. 17:13). Others reward evil with evil (Prov. 20:22). Then there are others still who can genuinely overcome evil with good, blessing those who persecute them (Rom. 12:14). These empowered individuals will bless when being reviled (1 Cor. 4:12-13). While we cannot necessarily stop someone from slapping or reviling us, we are empowered according to the glorious power of Christ to respond in a better way (Matt. 5:39). Peter helps us by showing that our response is measured by where our hope lies. He explains: “not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Pet. 3:9, emp. added). To what does Peter say we are called? What is the object of our eager anticipation?
“Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Col. 3:13, emp. added). God’s forbearing nature is what attracts us to Him (Rom. 2:4; 1 John 4:19). It is easy for us to practice forbearance and longsuffering toward another’s sin if we keep God’s example clearly in view. God’s goodness should lead us not only to repentance, and also helps us develop forbearance with those who sin against us (Rom. 2:4). This doesn’t mean that we overlook sin, but that when we confront and expose sin, we are looking for reconciliation, not isolation (Matt. 18:15). Once again, looking at Nehemiah 9:17, can it be said of us that we are “ready to pardon,” or are we holding onto an offense or bearing a grudge? Are we gracious and merciful, or are we unforgiving? Are we slow to anger or short‐fused? Are we abundant in kindness, or are we swollen with bitterness?
While longsuffering is empowering, forgetfulness is disabling. Jesus spoke a parable of a man who owed ten thousand talents (Matt. 18:24). This was an insurmountable debt to pay off. When he was ordered to be sold with his wife, children, and all that he had, he prayed for his master to have a longsuffering spirit (Matt. 18:26). By compassion, he was forgiven; yet, he was unwilling to extend that same grace toward another who owed him only one hundred denarii (Matt. 18:28-30).
How could this happen? He forgot and failed to apply his lord’s example! When we forget how we were cleansed from our old sins, we minimize and lose sight of our debt. As a result, we remain blind to the opportunities before us to “walk worthy of the Lord” in bearing the fruit of longsuffering (2 Pet. 1:9-11; Col. 1:9-11; Gal. 5:22).
Paul encouraged the Thessalonians, saying, “We exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all. See that none render unto any one evil for evil; but always follow after that which is good, one toward another, and toward all” (1 Thess. 5:14-15, ASV).
Without longsuffering, we will probably return evil for evil and, therefore, be overcome by evil. Simply because someone literally or even metaphorically hits you first doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the right to strike back. There can be circumstances where a different course is to be pursued. This doesn’t make me a pacifist. It doesn’t mean that I throw myself down as a carpet on which others can walk. It doesn’t mean that I will let someone assault my wife or family. Yet, there can be circumstances where I must not respond in kind, but instead, choose to respond in kindness and forbearance. Longsuffering is empowering; it frees us from acting the way evil people and trying circumstances want us to respond.
Steven J. Wallace
Steven has worked with the Indiana Avenue church of Christ in Lubbock, TX for eight years. He and his wife, Kelly, have three children. His website is revelationandcreation.com, through which he can also be contacted.
