Longsuffering is a
fruit of the Spirit. “…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, Meekness, temperance…”
(Galatians 5:22-23 KJV).
"You did not choose me but I chose you, and appointed
you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should
abide: that whatsoever you ask of the
Father in my name he may give to you.” (John 15:16 ASV).
“…Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it
abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you
abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in
him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing…”
(John 15:4-6 NASB).
You would think that longsuffering
simple means to suffer long, but it has a slightly different meaning. You could
change the word to LONGdiscipline, LONGself-control, LONGself-restraint, or
LONGtemperance.
It takes a longsuffering
person a LONG time to run out of steam. Their ability to endure is second to
none. Not only is their ability to endure second to none, but their patience withstands
too. In addition, their ability to show mercy or grace and maintain hope, while
suffering, is amazing.
“…But the fruit of the Spirit is…longsuffering…” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV).
Obviously, longsuffering is a fruit of the Spirit, which means God, is its
source.
“…The Lord, The Lord God, [IS] merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth”(Exodus
34:6 KJV).
“The
Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy…”
(Number 14:18 KJV).
“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 KJV).
“Which
sometime were disobedient…the longsuffering of God waited in the days of
Noah…”(1 Peter 1:20 KJV).
“The
Lord is not slack …but is longsuffering to us-ward…”(2 Peter 3:9
KJV).
“… the
longsuffering of our Lord is salvation…”(2 Peter 3:15 KJV).
Thankfully, God has a longsuffering
character and is so very patient with our ongoing sins, mistakes, rejections,
rebellions, pride, and infidelities.
In the Old Testament we read what happens
if God stops being longsuffering. God destroyed the old world in a flood
because of ongoing wickedness. The longsuffering of God is about being patient
with you and giving you ample opportunity to get it right with him. God sends
events, experiences, and “seasons of suffering” in your life to teach or direct
or draw you into his righteous ways.
God’s longsuffering in the Old Testament demonstrated
that eventually he left people to their sinful ways.
However, for those “in” Christ, nobody knows
the limits of God’s longsuffering in regard to your ongoing sinful behavior
since he is so rich in Grace and Mercy.
However, God hasn’t changed and like in
the old days he sees the continual depravity of mankind’s heart and behaviors (Genesis
6:6). If you are still involved in ongoing sin and still breathing, you are, right now, benefitting from God’s longsuffering,
holy character.
God also sees every imagination of the
thoughts of your heart and clearly sees it is continually evil (Genesis
6:6). If you belong to him and gave your
life to him, but continue to be unfaithful; God is being longsuffering towards
you. “The Lord is… longsuffering
to us-ward…”(2 Peter 3:9 KJV).
God sees the“…hidden
man of the heart…” (1 Peter 3:4 KJV). God knows the heart is deceitful “… above all things and desperately wicked…who can know it
[except God?]” (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV). “…Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adulteries, fornications, thefts,
false witness, slanders…” (Matthew 15:19 NASB).
God refuses to lose you to a sinful
lifestyle, especially after giving his ONLY begotten Son for your salvation. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and
sent His Son...” (1 John 4:10 KJV). “For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
God will patiently discipline you for the
purpose of holiness. “…that
[you] might be partakers (participants) of his holiness….” (Hebrews 12:10
KJV). He will be longsuffering towards you, especially if it gives you
an opportunity, through a “season of suffering,” to develop a clean heart
(Jeremiah 17:9, Psalm 51:10).
If God
regretted he made mankind in the Old Testament because of their sin and wiped
them off the face of the earth - has God changed his mind about SIN? (Genesis
6:5-7).
The longsuffering God, destroyed mankind
in the Old Testament, but it was their
refusal to repent.
“…But
my people would not listen to me.
They kept doing whatever they wanted, following
the stubborn desires of their evil hearts…” (Jeremiah 7:24 NLT).
The flood was the conclusion of their ongoing
sin in the Old Testament. “…The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the
earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only
evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made
human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have
created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along
the ground—for I regret that I have made them… I will send rain on the earth
for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature
I have made…”
(Genesis 6:5-6, 7:6 NIV).
But because of his richness in Grace and
Mercy, God, in the New Testament, under a new covenant, disciplines (corrects)
those he loves. “If you
are not disciplined – and everyone undergoes discipline – then you are not
legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all” (Hebrews 12:8
NIV).
A “season of suffering” may be one of
God’s loving opportunities “…that
we might be partakers of his holiness….” (Hebrews 12:10 KJV). Yet some
will still NOT come to Jesus or repent.
The Word says, “.and ye will not come to me that you might have life...”
(John 5:40 KJV). This verse says, “YOU will not come to Me…” which means you
will not respond to the demand to “COME.
In other words, it’s not God’s
longsuffering towards you that’s a problem. The scripture said “YOU WILL not come.” Who
is the “YOU” in this verse?
God often waits
patiently for you to come to him and give your heart completely to him. “… you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind…”
(Luke 10:27 RSV).
He’s been longsuffering
in regard to your ongoing sin and infidelities for years. God doesn’t want you
to perish. God “….is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2
Peter 3:9 KJV).
But days, weeks,
months, and years have passed and yet you continue in both your sin and your
infidelities. “…They
kept doing whatever they wanted, following
the stubborn desires of their evil hearts…” (Jeremiah 7:24 NLT).
During your long-term
walk with continual sin God has been longsuffering towards YOU. “…not willing that [YOU]… should perish, but that [YOU]…should come to repentance” (2
Peter 3:9 KJV).
God loves you TOO much
to let you perish in your sin and infidelities so he may send a “season of
suffering.” “Now, most people would not be
willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing
to die for a person who is especially good. But
God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we
were still sinners…”
(Romans 5:7-9 NLT).
Remember God can send a
“season of suffering” “without cause.” “…although thou movedst me against
him, to destroy him without cause…” (Job
2:3 KJV). So it’s possible, some “seasons of
suffering” are permitted or allowed “with
a cause.” God is “…not willing that any should
perish, but
that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV).
Longsuffering serves
God’s holy, sovereign purpose in three important ways. It, gets your attention,
it forces you to focus, and it shapes you by limiting your options "For the gate is small and the way is narrow
that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14
NASB).
You are “…a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,
a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” (1 Peter 2:9 KJV).
God didn’t call you to
remain a common sinner. “…Do you not
know that
you yourselves are God’s temple,
and that God’s Spirit
dwells in
you?...”
(1 Corinthians 3:16 NASB).
“…Christ is in YOU…” God
through Christ already suffered for you on the cross. “...Christ … suffered for us…” (1 Peter 2:21 KJV). How
much longer does he have to suffer for you in order for you to truly give your
life and heart to him? Will you continue to sin and be unfaithful to God?
YOU gave your life to
him when you believed, right? Be warned, “…It is impossible for those who have once
been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the
Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of
the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought
back to repentance. To their loss they
are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public
disgrace” (Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV). The
saving grace is, “…the things which are impossible with men are
possible with God…” (Luke 18:27 KJV).
Will you continue to
live like a common sinner and take God’s temple anywhere, do anything, and,
hang with anybody? “…If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is
holy, and you are that temple.…” (1 Corinthians 3:17 NASB).
The holy life of Christ is in YOU and God
is“…not willing that any
should perish, but that
all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV).The life of Christ, within
the believer, was meant to bear holy fruit and without obedience, that fruit is
eclipsed by sin. “…If therefore the light that is in thee be
darkness, [eclipsed by sin], how great
is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23
KJV).
When a “season of
suffering” is allowed or permitted by God with or “without cause;” God is trying to get your attention. “…this people draw near me with their MOUTHS
and their LIPS do honour me, BUT ….their heart
[attention is]…far from me…” (Isaiah 24:19 KJV).
Even during a “season
of suffering” God has to wait for you to respond to his sovereign will, by faith.
And some of you still, “…will
not come to [Jesus]… that you might have life...” (John 5:40 KJV).
God waits for you,
during “seasons of suffering,” to get through your anger, your attitude, your
questions, your judgements about his character, your lack of knowledge, your
misunderstandings of his sovereignty, your opinion of his wisdom, your pride,
your blame, your whining, and the hosts of other thoughts and feelings. He
waited patiently for Job.
. “Then Job replied to the Lord:
“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is
this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking
about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said,
‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must
answer them.’ I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in
dust and ashes to show my repentance” (Job 42:1-6 NLT).
God waited for King Nebuchadnezzar.
“At the
end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my
sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him
who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from
generation to generation.
All
the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he
pleases with
the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand or say
to him: “What have you done?”
At
the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned
to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I
was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.
Now
I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven,
because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who
walk in pride he is able to humble (Daniel
4 NIV).
God is not willing for
any of his children to perish in ANY area of their lives, but he wants them to
repent (2 Peter 3:9). God is“…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”
(2 Peter 3:9 KJV).
“Seasons of suffering”
happen to those living in ongoing sin and those who are walking in Godly integrity.
“So I … concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows
whether love or hate awaits them.
All share a common destiny—… The same destiny overtakes all. … time and chance happen to them all so people
are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them…”
(Ecclesiastes 9 NIV).
“For man also knoweth not his
time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that
are caught in the snare; so are the sons
of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them”
(Ecclesiastes 9:12 KJV).
Sinners can get
complacent in their sin and the righteous can get complacent in their
righteousness. God wants you to continue to. “… grow in the GRACE and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ… Amen” (2 Timothy 3:18 NIV).
Complacent means you are
so extremely satisfied with yourself and your circumstances, you do NOT need to
make an effort to change, grow, or develop any further. Christians need to keep
developing “…until we all reach unity in the faith
and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to
the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:14 NIV).
At all times, it is
best to, “… [entrust yourself]… to him who judges justly…” (1 Peter
2:19-23 NIV).
In order to continue to“… grow in the GRACE and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ…”we can't settle for complacent (2 Timothy 3:18 NIV). Thus, a “season of suffering” will
definitely get your attention. When you give something your attention you are
actively and purposely responding to specific information in your immediate
environment.
For instance, I got up
early this morning so I could give attention to my writing. It took me a few
minutes, because I was distracted by sounds, things I saw, and other sensations.
I heard the dogs barking next door, my mother mowing her lawn, an airplane flew
over, I watched TBN for a couples of minutes, and felt the cooling sensations
of the fan. I finally managed to minimize the distractions and pay attention to
one thing; my writing.
As a counselor or
psychologists we are trained to have some understanding of attention. To put it
simple, attention is merely, getting rid of all other possible and tempting distractions,
so the mind can narrow its train of thought on one specific task. Narrowing the
train of thought to one specific task allows you to engage in the task more
efficiently.
Attention affords you
the opportunity to block other possible distractions in your environment and
attend to the information that has priority.
I have learned that it
is hard to give attention to something or someone I am not truly interested in.
For instance, when it comes to studying geometry my attention is easily
distracted. It’s hard for me to stick to the task for any length of time and my
train of thought follows after the many different distractions in my
environment.
If I would give my
attention to studying geometry it may take 30 minute to finish, but because of my
inability to stay on the task and my low interest; it may take hours.
Further, when I am
trying to pay attention to one specific task I realize I have to be extremely
active about blocking out distractions For instance, before I started writing,
I closed the window to block out the sounds of the dogs, the lawnmower, and the
planes. I also turned off the television and the fans. I was purposefully
choosing to pay attention to my writing.
Paying attention
engages the mind or your cognitive abilities, which is what helps you respond
to the various stimuli or attractions in your immediate environment. What is
also unique about attention when you truly learn to exercise it; is that it helps
you experience the here and now or “...be
in the moment…”
In addition, excluding
attention disorders, paying attention to a specific task over all others tasks
in your environment implies that you have some control over your mind, or cognitive
abilities, or trains of thought.
Once something has your
attention, you need to focus on it. What you focus on becomes your experience. Your
experiences become your abilities or your expertise. When you focus on a
specific task over and over, the better you’ll become at that task.
Focus is simple the mind’s ability to pay
attention to one specific task and concentrate on it the same time. When you
concentrate on a task, you are single minded about what you are attending to.
Along with paying
attention and focus comes shaping behavior. Psychology teaches that behavior
can gradually be shaped, especially when the desired or target behavior is consistently
reinforced.
The reason the behavior
is gradually shaped is because reinforcement occurs every time the person
demonstrates ANY behavior that leads to the desired or targeted behavior.
That’s how behavior is supposedly shaped.
For example, my mother
had a desired or targeted behavior for me and that was to say “yes ma’am.” She
did not want me to say “yeah” “yay” or “yep.”
However, whenever I said “yes” I was rewarded because I was getting
closer to the desired behavior “yes ma’am.” Once I reached the desired behavior,
no other behavior was reinforced, because the desired behavior was shaped. I am
a grown woman and without thinking about it, I still say “yes ma’am.”
Shaping is mainly about
engaging people in new, desired behaviors. The person being shaped may know
about these new, desired behaviors, but have never truly engaged in them. If
the opportunity to be shaped into a new, desired behavior never presents
itself, the person will most likely never display them.
However, an ideal
situation can allow shaping to occur and thus gradually build the new, desired
behavior.
Putting attention and focus,
together with shaping provides one way to possibly understand how thinking
affects one’s behavior. Remember,
whatever has your attention, needs your focus too. And whatever has your focus becomes
your experience. Whatever your experience is becomes your training. Whatever
your training is becomes your shaping, which becomes your behavior.
In short, this combination
identifies how focused attention impacts thinking and thinking can impact
behavior. When a person spends a lot of focused attention on any one specific
task it can gradually or progressively shape certain behaviors.
Sometimes “seasons of
suffering” teach individuals they cannot control everything. They can, however,
control how they interpret and deal with the uncontrollable environment around
them. During “seasons of suffering” individuals may be forced to focus
attention on specific tasks that reinforce and cement new, desired behaviors.
Focusing attention - especially
over a long period of time - on specific tasks can result in new, desired
behaviors, which can eventually impact an individual’s entire life in various areas:
relationships, job, ministry, gifts, talents, etc;.
For instance, a person
suffering from pride might experience extreme, puffed-up thoughts about
themselves. “…King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later, as
the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal
residence, by my mighty power and for
the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4NIV).
As a result of these
prideful thoughts, the individual might think more highly of themselves than
they should and began boasting on their own prowess. You are “…not to think more highly of …[yourself] than
[you]… ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment…” (Romans
12:3 ASV).
. “….Do not
forget that [God]… led you through ... He gave you water …He fed you…. He did all this so you
would never
say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’
Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who
gives you power to be successful ...”
(Deuteronomy 8:17-17 NLT).
“…For what gives you the right to make such
a judgment? What
do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is
from God, why
boast as though it were not a gift?...”
(1 Corinthians 4:7 NLT).
In order to battle
prideful thoughts and behavior, God, in his sovereignty, may send a “season of
suffering” to help individuals identify their problem. “...God sees
not as man sees, for man looks at the
outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart…”(1 Samuel 16:7
NASB).
God knows what it will
take to help individuals learn how their thoughts contribute to sinful
behavior. God
is paying close attention to the “…hidden
man of the heart…” (1 Peter 3:4 KJV). “For from within, out of the heart of man,
proceed evil thoughts… wickedness… pride...
All these evil things come from within, and defile a person.”
(Mark 7:21-23 KJV).
“Seasons of suffering”
are usually very difficult, especially when individuals start struggling with
self-examination. God
pays close attention to the “…hidden man
of the heart…” (1 Peter 3:4 KJV). “For from within, out of the heart of man,
proceed evil thoughts… wickedness… pride...
All these evil things come from within, and defile a person.” (Mark
7:21-23 KJV).
Hopefully,
self-examination will lead to insights about their prideful thoughts and
behaviors. God helps you. “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know everything I do…” (Psalms
139:1-6 NLT).
Gaining insight into their
prideful thoughts is essential to God and helps individuals see how those
thoughts contribute to sin problems. So “…examine yourself, whether ye be in the faith; prove
your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you,
except ye be reprobates?” (2 Corinthians 13:5 KJV). If self-examination leads to insights about
one’s self those insights become self-discovery.
Self-discovery is the “…hidden
man of the heart…” (1 Peter 3:4 KJV). “For from within, out of the heart of man,
proceed evil thoughts… wickedness… pride...
All these evil things come from within, and defile a person.”
(Mark 7:21-23 KJV).
If self-discovery leads to repentance,
then the individual can focus attention on God’s word regarding pride and the word
of God will reinforce and cement new, desired behaviors. “…but in lowliness of mind (humility) let each
esteem other better than themselves… [Jesus] made himself of no reputation and
took upon him[self] the form of a servant…” Philippian 2:3, 7 KJV). “…everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but he who humbles himself will be exalted…” (Luke 18:14 ASV).
The individual begins
to practice new behavior. “…but in lowliness of mind (humility) let
each esteem other better than themselves…” Philippian 2:3, 7 KJV). “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10
KJV).
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time…”(1 Peter 5:6 KJV).
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time…”(1 Peter 5:6 KJV).
For the believer, this
is obedience. Remember, obedience is transformation in action. Transformation
in action is when individuals replace old behaviors, such as pride, with new
behaviors, such as humility. In addition, “…it is
God which worketh in [them]… both to will and to
do of his good pleasure”
(Philippians 2:13 KJV).
“…That he would grant [them]… according to
the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man…”(Ephesians
3:16 KJV).
The prideful person, “…can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth [them]….”
(Philippians 4:13 KJV.
Transformation takes time and God wants
ALL his children to “…be conformed
to the image of His Son…” (Romans 8:29 KJV). Thankfully, “…The Lord,
The Lord God [is], merciful and gracious, longsuffering,
and abundant in goodness and truth”(Exodus 34:6 KJV). AND God “….is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV).
The longsuffering God waits patiently as
we grow in grace and knowledge, which can be slow, gradual, and can only be taken
in small incremental, baby steps.
Letting go of pride or any other sin can really
be a painful and stressful endeavor. ”…[But]…he that hath
suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; For the time past
of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we
walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and
abominable idolatries:” (1 Peter 4:1-3 KJV)
God, who is so very patience understands
transformation is a progressive work of the Holy Spirit. God’s longsuffering
character as well as his grace and mercy make spiritual development a lot less
intimidating and goals, like humility, easier to achieve by faith.
During “seasons of suffering” “…. all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose…”(ROMANS
8:28 KJV. AND “…it is God which
worketh in [us]… both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians
2:13 KJV).
Getting rid of sin issues is what God
does. He says, “…be
holy, because I am holy…” (1 Peter 1:16 KJV). “…He that hath suffered in the flesh hath
ceased from sin…” (1 Peter 4:1
KJV). In other words, the one who suffers; gains holiness. Holiness separates or sets you
apart, particularly from sin and darkness.
In LONG “seasons of
suffering” we are usually waiting for God to change the situation or
circumstance around. Many have waited for days, weeks, months, or years for
that change.
On the other hand, even
after suffering and dying on the cross for sinners, God is still waiting
patiently for his people to turn from their wicked ways. . “…If My
people which are called by My name shall humble themselves, and pray and
seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways…” (2
Chronicles 7:14 KJV).
God is LONGSUFFERING
and he has been waiting patiently for his OWN people, for years, to give their
hearts to him. “…But
my people would not listen to me.
They kept doing whatever they wanted, following
the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward” (Jeremiah 7:24 NLT).
“But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our
own evil desires” (JEREMIAH 18:12 NLT).
BUT God
“…is LONGSUFFERING to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV).
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