Longsuffering: What it Is and Why it Matters
Longsuffering is a term used in the Bible to describe one of the characteristics of God. The term is also one of the nine character traits of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) that the Holy Spirit wants to grow in believers to transform them more into the likeness of Jesus.
Longsuffering is an often-misunderstood term. It is not a command; it is a characteristic. Believers are not told to be longsuffering. Instead, Scripture provides examples of how God is longsuffering toward people so believers can learn to be longsuffering toward others.
Some have improperly defined longsuffering as “patience.” This, in part, is why the term is often misused and misunderstood. Longsuffering is not about a believer “suffering” for the cause of Christ.
Longsuffering and patience are not interchangeable. Patience is about enduring circumstances; longsuffering is about enduring people. In other words, patience addresses a person’s response to things. Longsuffering addresses a person’s response to personal relationships.
God instructs believers to be patient in circumstances when waiting on Him (Psalm 37:7; James 5:7–8). Believers are to wait with anticipation (Luke 12:35–40; Psalm 5:3; Psalm 130:5), believing God will perform what He will in His time (Titus 2:13). The believer looks to Him with the hope (confidence) of what He has promised. Such patience develops strength (Isaiah 40:31) to endure and persevere until the Day of Redemption (Philippians 1:6; James 1:4).
Longsuffering involves patiently enduring wrongs or difficulties without complaint from which the cause originates with people. It is never used to address enduring wrongs or physical hardships. It is used when describing how a person is to respond to another person who causes the wrongs or hardships.
In some Bible translations, Matthew 19:14 states, “Jesus said, ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me’…” The word “suffer” means to “permit” or “allow.” Longsuffering is permitting or accepting people as God created them to patiently endure what and who they are for the purpose of demonstrating God’s love and bringing them into a relationship with Him.
This outward display of longsuffering is to be shown to believers and non-believers. With believers, it is to strive toward unity in Christ. With non-believers, it is to reconcile them back to God.
Longsuffering includes self-restraint when stirred to anger. The Bible describes God as ‘slow to anger’ (Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15). Believers are to be slow to anger (Proverbs 19:11; James 1:19), demonstrating love, patience, kindness, and gentleness — more characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit outwardly displayed to show inward growth.
With unbelievers — non-Christians — believers are to demonstrate longsuffering as God demonstrates His longsuffering towards all people. A person who lacks the Spirit of God living inside is dead in sin. It is the believer’s ministry to reconcile the person back to God (II Corinthians 5:18), not judge or condemn them. The believer must exercise longsuffering to endure the irritation, the wrongs, the mental and physical difficulties caused by building relationships with non-believers.
Believers are instructed to do everything possible to live peaceably among people. Exercising longsuffering and being slow to anger provides the opportunity to live peaceably with those who find all things related to God as foolishness (I Corinthians 1:18, 2:14).
God’s longsuffering is tolerant to a point, patient, and full of kindness to bring people to Himself (Romans 2:4; Joel 2:13). When appearing to Moses, God describes longsuffering as His character (Exodus 34:6).
God demonstrates His longsuffering to those who are against Him as well as to believers who need correction. The purpose of God’s longsuffering is to provide mankind with all the opportunities to accept Jesus and be saved (II Peter 3:15) so as to escape His wrath of judgment. God repeatedly demonstrated His longsuffering with the nation of Israel (Ezekiel 20:17; Isaiah 48:9) and with His children (Romans 2:4).
When God displays His longsuffering toward us, we may reach a point in which God acts to chastise us (Nehemiah 9:30). God is longsuffering because He doesn’t want anyone to perish. But there is a point where God’s holiness, righteousness, and judgment against sin and those who have refused Him will turn to His holy wrath (Jeremiah 44:22).
The book of Revelation describes the outcome for those who openly defy God, reject Him and His love, and face His wrath. While there is yet time, find His love and accept His offer to live with Him for eternity rather than being separated from Him in an eternal lake of fire (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 21:8).
Longsuffering is a character trait of God, a trait God wants His children to grow as they mature into the likeness of His Son. It is one of the nine characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit. God limited His innumerable traits to these nine for us to develop, so they must have significance to God Himself as He works to complete us as His children.
Longsuffering requires patiently enduring those who irritate or work evil against us or simply slow our anger so we can work together to bring glory to God and fulfill His calling. The more we exercise it, the stronger our faith becomes and our ability to forgive others is enhanced because we see God at work in us. Consider Colossians 3:13: “Forbearing (acting with longsuffering toward) one another, and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
