The Fruit of the Holy Spirit: Longsuffering

How do you react when someone treats you wrongly? Do you seek revenge? Or, with God's help, do you bear it? Do you attempt to live peaceably with everyone? Is the atmosphere surrounding your being sweet and fragrant?

This is what God wants from us! And He will provide the strength.

Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness. Colossians 1:11

Love is the law of Christ’s kingdom. The Lord calls upon every one to reach a high standard. The lives of His people are to reveal love, meekness, long-suffering. Long-suffering bears something, yea, many things, without seeking to be avenged by word or act.

“Long-suffering” is patience with offence; long endurance. If you are long-suffering, you will not impart to others your supposed knowledge of your brother’s mistakes and errors. You will seek to help and save him, because he has been purchased with the blood of Christ. “Tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” To be long-suffering is not to be gloomy and sad, sour and hardhearted; it is to be exactly the opposite.

Try to live peaceably with all men, and let the atmosphere surrounding your soul be sweet and fragrant. The Lord hears every unwise word that is spoken. If you will battle against selfish human nature, you will go forward steadily in the work of overcoming hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong. By patience, long-suffering, and forbearance you will accomplish much. Remember that you cannot be humiliated by the unwise speeches of someone else, but that when you answer unwisely, you lose a victory that you might have gained. Be very careful of your words.

Forbearance and unselfishness mark the words and deeds of those who are born again to live the new life in Christ. My Life Today, p.52, by E. G. White.

With God's help, try to let His sweet fragrance surround you this week.

This article was submitted to The Christian Home blog magazine.

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