It is an ability to endure hardships over long periods of time, it enables you to learn what the situation has to teach and builds character. It is the ability to remain joyful and willing in spite of difficulty and persevere through to the end. People like the Gifts of the Spirit, they like the fruits but when it comes to this fruit nobody is enthusiastic anymore. Nobody like suffering, God however is clear that this is part of His nature and wants His children to bear this fruit.
The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, ...- Numbers 14:18
This again is not human patience or longsuffering which runs out pretty quickly when there are no visible results, the Holy Spirit will put into you the longsuffering nature of God Himself. You will be able to tolerate anything so that love may win.
If you study the life of the Apostle Paul, the hardships he endured and the duration and nature of his suffering is enough to drive a normal person insane. He was stoned alive, was in prison for long periods of time, was mercilessly beaten up, he was bitten by venomous snakes, shipwrecked etc .. , There were times where he was sick and tired of life itself, yet he was faithful and patient till the end. Nothing could cause him to lose focus from his primary task of spreading the Gospel.
Moses, a man filled with the Holy Spirit led his people for 40 years, he started at the age of 80 and went on till he was 120. He led a group of rebellious, thankless and murmuring people across the desert. The setbacks he faced were huge, his people rebelled against his authority, his family criticized him. God himself got angry with him, yet in spite of all this he emerged as one of the greatest men in the Old Testament.
Longsuffering simply means suffering without end, but this suffering comes with the promise of hope. Hope that God's words and promises always come through in the end. Hope that whatever happens it's for your good even though you may not understand now and hope that in spite of everything God has saved you and you have eternal life.
BIBLICAL INSPIRATION
This is a story of Joseph, the son of Jacob a man blessed with the Holy Spirit. He was one of the youngest and favorite among the 12 sons of his father. God gave Joseph dreams which told him how he would one day be a great man and that his whole family would look up to him.
Joseph shared these dreams with his brothers and father. His brothers became jealous of him and decided to kill him. This would have been a grave crime according to their laws so they threw him into a pit. They smeared his clothes with blood and told his father that he was dead.
Soon they decided to sell him off as a slave to a group of travelling merchants, Joseph finally ended up in Egypt as a slave. Things got worse, he was soon falsely accused of adultery and thrown into prison for some time. He however did not give up, all the years of hardship and living as a slave put character in him, this character was more valuable than refined gold. God finally did elevate him to the post of the most respected official in Egypt.
He did go on to become the greatest among his brothers, he was the one who kept his family alive during the famine. He left his father as a naive teenager but reunited with him as almost an equal to the pharaoh. He spent almost 15 years of his life in darkness with no visible signs of his dreams coming true, he persevered through things most people would have given up on. His patience and trust in God's promises were truly inspiring.
LIFE APPLICATION
*Don't resist or give up when you face setbacks or tough situations. There is a lesson to be learnt
*Always have hope, without hope life has no meaning
*Never give up, make sure that love always wins
YOU ARE READING
"Fruits of the Holy Spirit"
Spiritual"Fruits of the Spirit" is a biblical term that describe the visible attributes of a true Christian walk. It is visible physical manifestations of the work the Holy Spirit has done in your life. Its a sign of maturity as a believer.
