Fruit of the Spirit #4- Longsuffering

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The fourth fruit of the spirit is Longsuffering.

Longsuffering- Bearing injuries or provocation for a long time; patient; not easily provoked.

Longsuffering, or Patience, is an important character trait for everyone. Impatience is a lack of tolerance. Nobody enjoys it when someone else is impatient but we don’t seem to think about what our impatience does to others. The LORD should be our example.

Numbers 14:18

The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The Bible tells us to what extent to be patient...

2 Corinthians 6:3-6

Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,  In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;  By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

Romans 5:3-4  

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

These verses tell us that tribulations and hard things in our life are used to test and give us patience. If we dont bear trials with patience, we are weak. The Bible also uses patience as a sort of definition for self-control.

Luke 21:19

In your patience possess ye your souls.

Life is like a race. If we dont patiently take it one step at a time and let God's perfect will be done, our life wont go as well as it could. If we patiently allow God to take complete control of our life, we will be blessed and would not have to worry about so many things. 

Hebrews 12:1+2

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Be patient and let God have control!