“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering…” (Galatians 5:22)

What a wonderful study it has been for me on fruit bearing. I trust that these devotionals have been a blessing to you as you read them; as they have been to me as I write them.

We have been dealing with the topic of “What’s on Your Tree?” We know that there is only one kind of fruit that the Child of God can bear; and that is the fruit of the Spirit. We must have the Spirit of God abiding in us in order to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, and longsuffering, which will be the sub-topic of this devotion.

What is “longsuffering” and what does the Word of God have to say about it? The Greek word for “longsuffering” is “makrothumia”; which means patient endurance, to bear long with the frailties, offences, injuries, and provocations of others without murmuring, repining, or resentment.

Now, let’s go to the Word of God. First, our God is longsuffering:

“And the LORD passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,” (Exodus 34:6)

“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

No one wants to be longsuffering now-a-days. How easy it has become for people to “fly off the handle” with one another. For the Child of God that bears the fruit of the Spirit, this is not so – or should not be so. We understand the longsuffering; the longsuffering of God towards us, while we were at enmity with Him.

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” (Lamentations 3:22)

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

We are to be longsuffering with others:

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;” (Ephesians 4:1-2)

The Bible has a lot to say to the Child of God on the fruit of longsuffering. Let’s look at Colossians:

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” (Colossians 3:12-13)

We see from the Scriptures that longsuffering is to be portrayed as a part of our Christian conduct.

Are we bearing this fruit of the Spirit?