“strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” Colossians 1:11
Longsuffering is a fruit of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. It is a characteristic of God, and it is a quality the Holy Spirit will empower us to walk in. The word for longsuffering in the Greek is makrothymia, which means, “endurance, patience, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance, and forbearance.”
The fruit of longsuffering, or endurance, is the supernatural strength to stay committed to something or someone, even through times of hardship or suffering. The suffering that the Bible mentions is a time of difficulty; however, God does not expect us to suffer from anything He redeemed us from, such as sickness, mental illness, addictions, and the like. The suffering mentioned in the Bible includes seasons of testing, persecutions, or obeying in adverse circumstances.
We need endurance in relationships. Ephesians 4:2, Paul wrote, “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.” It’s not always easy to bear with difficult people. Difficult people are often people who have been through disappointment, hurt, abuse, or betrayal. Some people are wrestling with freedom from sin, a false way of thinking, or substance abuse. Perhaps someone struggles with depression or mental illness. Paul encouraged the Ephesians to stay committed to loving each other, even through the challenges we face.
Endurance is also a key factor in receiving from God. Hebrews 6:12 tells us that we receive God’s promises through faith and patience (same Greek word for longsuffering or endurance). It often takes commitment to obey God in order to see God’s word come to pass. For example, the temple was not rebuilt in a day. The Gospel was not spread around the world in a week or a year or a thousand years. It has taken commitment, a steadfast spirit, for the job to get done. The ministry God has called you to will most likely be a ministry you need to work at for your lifetime. We need supernatural endurance, help from the Spirit of God, to complete what God asks us to do.
God is able to endure in His love for us. Even through our imperfections, wrong choices, and failures, God’s love never stops! Not only that; but God also stays true to the gifts and callings He places on our lives. He knows with His help we can do all things! He never gives up!
Application: Is there something you haven’t finished? Don’t rely on your strength. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the endurance to complete it!