Longsuffering Love

God is infinitely good, and one of the aspects of His character I have appreciated lately is how longsuffering He is.  We labour to avoid suffering however we can, and when we suffer our main objective is to find relief.  If God was not longsuffering, patient, and compassionate He would have wiped us wretched sinners from the globe ages ago.  See how Paul introduces a description of God's love in 1 Corinthians 13:4:  "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up..."  Love suffers long.  The death of Jesus Christ on Calvary was a demonstration of His love:  every insult, physical blow, and slanderous accusation against Him was patiently received.  With every step towards Calvary His longsuffering character was on display.

Having been born again through faith in Jesus Christ, it is God's will this longsuffering love of God would be displayed as we bear our cross daily.  It involves self-sacrifice to walk in love when we are hurting.  I was reminded of this the exhortation to pastor Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-2:  "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."  Those who labour in the Word of God rejoice when we see a hunger in people to feed on God's Word and apply it personally to their lives.  As long as we preach the Word, however, there will be a continual flow of people who do not or will not receive it.  If this were not the case why would rebuke, exhortation, and longsuffering continue to be necessary?  I do not say this as one who has great knowledge or understanding but as one who owns being a weak, flawed, and foolish sinner.  It is only by the grace of God I stand and speak.

Oh, to be longsuffering like Jesus!  As He physically hung on the cross covered with His own blood and the spit of people who rejected Him Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."  The longsuffering love of God continues beyond what is humanly possible to experience.  When God tells us to love one another, follow Him, and daily bear our cross we cannot do this--I cannot do this.  It is not a difficult thing to walk on the narrow road of the fellowship of Christ's suffering with joy:  it is an impossibility only made possible by the life of Jesus Christ living through us because we by faith have been crucified with Him.  To suffer is never man's aspiration, but to be longsuffering is the calling of every believer.  Suffering naturally produces bitterness, but God's love suffers long and is kind without envy, boasting, pride, and keeps no record of wrongs.  How great God's love is!