Do You Have These Fruits?-Long Suffering

 This month's fruit is:

 Long-Suffering. 

In the Greek translation, it is Makrothumia which means patient, forbearance, and fortified. 

Usually, this fruit is the least appealing. No one would want any parts of the words that come together, especially the latter. 

I mean, who wants to suffer?

Who wants to experience or be subjected to bad or unpleasant things for a long period of time?

Wasn't coming into Christ suppose to erase the idea of that?

How is this unpleasant thing a fruit?

I want you to think about the worst-tasting fruit you've ever consumed. 

Mine would be grapefruit. 

It's so bad tasting to me, yet no matter how terrible it tastes to me, it is still good for me.

No matter how unwanted long-suffering is to us, it is good for our walk in Christ.

How? 

How is it good?

How is beneficial?

I am no theologist, nor am I some great Apostle, so my definition of long-suffering may differ from the idea of the Greats. 

But, I do not believe that long-suffering has anything to do with actual suffering such as trials and tribulations. 

I don't believe that this fruit would result in being in constant turmoil, but more so that you must be tempered in what you go through.

When I think about applying the fruit of long-suffering, I think about smothering the flesh with the acts of the Holy Spirit. 

It is the flesh that is intended to suffer.

1 Peter 3:8-22 speaks on suffering and you can take a pause to read the context, but what I got from it was the idea of maintaining conviction in your walk.

Verse 8 says to be like-minded, sympathetic love one another, and be compassionate, and humble. 

This is everything our flesh will not let us be. 

Verse 9 continues saying, "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with a blessing, because you are to inherit a blessing"

The scripture goes on but I want to stop here because when you apply verse 9 to your life, tell me what suffers?

When you practice verse 8, what suffers?

When you jump to verse 10 which tells us to keep our tongue from evil, from gossiping, lying, and false news. 

Or verse 11 tells us to turn from evil and do good, who suffers in this transaction?

To gain the fruit of long-suffering is to maintain your temper or patience in the midst of the temptation. 

To be wise at the crossroad between flesh and the Spirit.

To guard the way you react when you are presented with evil desires.

It is called long because this fruit is not just a few bites and it's over with. 

Galatians 5:17 says that our flesh and spirit war against each other daily. 

They do this every day for the rest of our lives. 

So as a result of that, every day for the rest of our lives we must continue to make our flesh suffer.

We must deny ourselves. Our sinful habits and maintaining temperance. 

Our hardness. 

This is not easy. It's not an easy fruit to bear, but it is worth it in the end. 

1 Peter 3:18 tells us that even Christ bore suffering. 

He is a prime example of long-suffering to admire. He was made into flesh and spent days on earth exercising and guarding His spirit against His flesh.

1 Peter 3:14 finally says that the result of this fruit produces blessing. 

The more we live by withstanding the retaliation of our flesh, the more we suffer it, then the more we are prone to receiving this blessing.

I encourage you today, don't be afraid of this fruit anymore.

It produces righteousness. 

It produces blessings.

It grows every day and by each choice of you betting on Christ. 

~TheRay