The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 34
Longsuffering, sometimes referred to as patience, is an act of accepting bitter medicine, especially when we think we are not ill. While patience certainly seems tested in marriage, if we are faithful, we will be strengthened. The same can be said for all areas of life. However, quite often when we get to words like these in Scripture, we either want to go back, or skip forward, but when it comes to His Word, I do not desire to miss even one stroke of the pen.
We suffer sometimes for what seems a very long time, and in moments of great sickness and sorrow, and occasionally at mere moments of agitation, we lose sight of Hope. The Hope I speak of, Yahoshuah, loves us so much that: “No trial has overtaken you except such as is common to man, and Elohim is trustworthy, who shall not allow you to be tried beyond what you are able, but with the trial shall also make the way of escape, enabling you to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13). We ourselves are responsible for our own failures. In hardships, we must not blame Elohim, but rather hold fast to our Saviour’s hand, never letting go, as He will never let go unless we push Him away. We must, even in what seems endless sorrow, offer up praise to the Master diamond cutter, to the Master silver smith, to the Master Gardener of the fruit of the Spirit.
If one refines gold, then there are bursts of sparks, and the stench of smoldering debris, in the purging of impurities, but once pure, the gold is undisrupted by fire. We like to think we are being persecuted for goodness, but since all of us have evil, let us not boast of our purging when the room is filled with the smoke of our alleged suffering. Longsuffering is refinement.
Longsuffering is bitterness; it is the medicine we need when our idols of comfort demand that our ears be tickled, and our eyes delighted. We need to hear the screams of mothers; we need to see the children who are starving to death. We need bitterness. We need it! This is what makes us who we are far more than sweets. Sweets and comfort does not test us. To not know of suffering to the point of not feeling it—leaves us with no purpose of fervent love! We are dead. Dead! … Unless we have the fruit of the Spirit, longsuffering.
“And He spoke this parable, ‘A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the gardener, “Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down, why does it even make the ground useless?” And he answering, said to him, “Master, leave it this year too, until I dig around it and throw manure. And if indeed it bears fruit, good. But if not so, you shall cut it down.”’” (Luke 13:6-9).
You might be a tree, but until there is fruit then that tree bears no worth. Hidden hatred never grows figs, and how do we get rid of hidden hatred? There is no polite way to say this: Perhaps we need dung in our life. We need longsuffering, and only by accepting Yahoweh in the fruit of the Spirit will this occur.
Yahoweh is the most longsuffering, the most patient, of all. Consider all the wrongs we have done. I know, I do not want to think about that, either. When I consider some of my worst moments, and that Elohim still cares, still loves, I am left in silent amazement, even wonder. But that is what this fruit of the Spirit is rooted in, isn’t it? Love. To be patient, to permit longsuffering of oneself for another, it is the essence of what we are to be known by. After all, how can an impatient man, be a loving father—and, oh, how patient our Saviour!
“So then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,” (James 1:19).
“Also do not take to heart all the words they speak, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For you know in your heart that many times you have cursed others.” (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22).
The next time we consider not being longsuffering, or patient, with friends, spouse, or children, let us consider how longsuffering and merciful Yahoweh has been with us. This will take practice, but consider the benefits of letting go. “with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,” (Ephesians 4:2).
Much of our lack of longsuffering comes from comfort, expectations of perfection, and delusions breading more of the former. When we expect someone or something to perform a certain way, we get mad—and swiftly—when our expectation is not met. It is as if thinking the fruit you are about to eat is a sweet orange, only to have a bitter grapefruit. It is like expecting something to be easy, only to have a fantastic challenge. It is like expecting a kiss, and getting a hug. What happens—happens. To bear fruit, real fruit, we must remove the non-essentials, and our expectations are nothing more than a dead branch covered with disease, and our longing for comfort inhibits us from bearing the weight of fruit.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahoweh, and whose trust is Yahoweh. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and does not see when heat comes. And his leaf shall be green, and in the year of drought he is not anxious, nor does he cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
“to walk worthily of the Master, pleasing all, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of Elohim, being empowered with all power, according to the might of His esteem, for all endurance and patience with joy,” (Colossians 1:10-11).
Fruit can be over done, though. In gardening, if you allow the grapes to put on too many clusters, the grapes will not be as large and will actually produce less fruit; in fact, it could even kill the vine. Too much patience can overburden our branches, causing us to produce little fruit, and perhaps even none the next year due to the stress. There has to be balance. The Messiah wept … as surely as He laughed. He turned His cheek … as surely as He escaped the stones of those who hated the Name. We, too, through His Spirit, must have a balance. A little suffering can go a long ways.
Yet, sometimes, we are tempted to ask, “Why do we suffer?” Yes, we brought sin and death into this world, but why did Job have so many hardships? Why do hardships seem to happen more to the good than the bad? Some day we will know; however, my fellow scars out there, I am going to be honest with you: I do not fully know. His ways are above mine. I really cannot say much on longsuffering, except to trust the Trustworthy. Trust the Almighty, even in the hardest of times. The Messiah suffered for us, and I always remind myself of this every time my heart is broken, or when pain occurs in this body. I do not know the answer to “why” all the time, but I do know Him, and really, in the mess of it all, a personal friendship with the Suffering Servant is all that really matters.
Be Blessed and be a Blessing
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
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Additional Scripture References:
Psalms 145:8-9, Proverbs 14:29, Proverbs 16:32, Proverbs 19:11, Nehemiah 9:17, Luke 18:7, Nahum 1:3, Psalms 37:7, Psalms 103, 2 Timothy 2:24, James 5:10-11, 2 Peter 3:9, Exodus 34:6, 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, Colossians 3:12-13, 1 Peter 3:17-18
