Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is…patience.
The ESV translates the original Greek word makrothumia as patience, while other translations use either forbearance, or my personal favorite…longsuffering. It describes a state of emotional calm or quietness in the face of provocation, misfortune or unfavorable circumstances. It is quite literally the opposite of short-tempered…it is being long-tempered. I don’t know about you, but for me, this is a fruit that definitely requires the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Precept Austin commentary explains, “When a believer is walking in the Spirit and not fulfilling the desires of the flesh, he or she is empowered with an inner supernatural steadfastness even in the face of provocation. This long fuse is a Christ like attitude for as Peter reminded his readers, our Lord Jesus Christ in spite of…being reviled, …did not revile in return; while suffering, …uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him Who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23).” Would your family and friends say you have a “long fuse” when it comes to things that anger or upset you?
God is the perfect example of makrothumia. Every single sin of every single human is an affront to His holiness, yet God’s kindness not only withholds his judgment and wrath…it also offers a safe harbor through faith in Jesus Christ. It boggles my mind in terms of my own sin. I got saved in 1994 yet here I am today, still struggling with certain sins. God has not given up on me, but patiently works with me through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. He is not only patient, but He has chosen to bless me and my family in numerous ways, despite my shortcomings. But make no mistake—God’s patience with unrepentant man will come to an end one day and the clock of His kindness and makrothumia will stop ticking.
Norman Bartlett once said that the “Irrigations of grace wash away the irritations of life.” The mere fact of our salvation is a river with an endless supply of grace, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, that grace is more than sufficient to cover over the things in life that irritate, annoy, injure, or anger us. Bartlett went on to observe, “There are men and women who masticate their dislikes thoroughly, make all-day suckers of their wrongs, and magnify every little pin-prick into a sword thrust. The temperament manifested in such conduct and attitudes is far removed from the longsuffering included in this cluster of spiritual graces so highly commended in Scripture.” In essence, your “short fuse” is probably an indication of a shallow or hollow faith…or at least a stark indication that all is not well with your soul.
I ought to know.
While scripture calls us to be slow to anger, slow to speak, and quick to listen (Jas 1:19), far too often I sail my ship in the opposite direction, like Jonah trying to escape the call to Nineveh. God has enabled all of His Children with Spiritual Fruit more than capable of overwhelming the distasteful things of this life with the sweet nectar of God’s grace, compassion, and sufficiency. Longsuffering is a gift from God that allows us to exercise the same makrothumia that He has shown to every one of us. How can we not show it to others?
