Fruit of the Spirit 4 Longsuffering Time to Put Your Big Girl Pants On

Galatians 5:22-23

24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, LONGSUFFERING, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

The word LONGSUFFERING is taken from the Greek word “makrothumia”. It is a compound word made up of MAKROS and THUMOS. Makros means “long”. This speaks of something that is in a far distance (taking time to arrive) or of a long duration. The word “thumus” means anger, but it provides “the idea of swelling emotions or a strong and growing passion about something.”

When these two words are put together as one, it forms the word “makrothumia” which shows us the patient control against anger and therefore, LONGSUFFERING or interpreted, “patience”.

It was explained to me using the illustration of a candle with a long wick. The wick is lit and the fire burns. It continues to burn and burn and does not stop until someone comes along and blows it out. This is how it is in life. Our trials come and the fire gets hot and continues to burn. Patiently we endure the heat (LONGSUFFER) until it is blown out.

OR, we encounter a person that is in need of so much. They try us, use us, attempt to tear us down, etc. The duration of our interaction with them is long and we know we must endure to show them the love of Christ. Remember the word “thurmus” – swelling emotions or a strong growing passion about something”? Do we possess a strong passion for this individual’s soul that compels us to be long suffering, patient as we deal with them and hang in there? We must continue in longsuffering to be able to offer them Jesus.

No, it is not easy, but what a difference it can make. Nor is it a something we dread, but a challenge placed before us by the Lord to encourage growth in patience. The reward is sweet as we see the FRUIT of the Spirit develop our life to maturity because we have patiently – through LONGSUFFERING, grown and encouraged growth in others. Do not take too LONG in eating this fruit!

Romans 5:3 says, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience;”.

Hard to believe, but LONGSUFFERING is essential to our Christian growth. We may want to try to bypass it, avoid it at any cost, but let me encourage you to embrace it, knowing that though the fruit may have an initial bitter taste, the end bite of it is a strong one filled with strength for you through patience. As they say, “Time to put your big girl pant on!”.