Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

When I sought the Lord for this week’s focus, He woke me up with the loop of ‘how long?’ playing in my mind. I thought it had to do with mediating on a sermon I just heard, but the Holy Spirit showed me a different angle to that question, which is the fruit of long-suffering.

Accordingly, today let’s consider the time limits we place on what God allows us to endure.

Today’s scripture, Psalms 13:1-2 (NIV), asks…
[1] How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? [2] How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Consider…
Today’s scripture was the text of the sermon that inspired this week’s theme. The preacher spoke about limits, levels and loops, ending with the encouragement to overcome our limits by going to a new level via playing a different loop, focused on God’s goodness. Shout out to Pastor Furtick of Elevation Church.

While that prescription to overcome our negative thoughts is great, the Holy Spirit showed me sometimes God allows us to ‘languish in anguish’.

Oxford Languages defines anguish as the severe mental or physical pain or suffering.

And the same Oxford Languages defines languish as…

• (of a person or other living thing) lose or lack vitality; grow weak or feeble.
• suffer from being forced to remain in an unpleasant place or situation.

These definitions combine to describe a persistent state of severe suffering. This led me to consider the fruit of the Spirit, longsuffering.

A Google search returned this AI overview…
In the context of the fruit of the spirit, longsuffering (or patience) means to patiently endure hardship, offense, or mistreatment without quickly retaliating or becoming bitter. It’s a form of godly patience and mercy, mirroring God’s own patience with humanity. It involves bearing with the weaknesses and offenses of others, forgiving them, and maintaining love and a positive attitude despite difficulties.

I find the placement of longsuffering in the Holy Spirit’s producing of the Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22 (KJV) says…
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering…

Notice we’re first given the…

• love of God
• joy of the Lord
• peace from God

…before the ability to patiently endure others.

This tells me that we must be rooted in God in order to endure like Him.

Speaking of enduring like God, I am reminded of 2 Peter 3:8-9 (NLT), which explains…
[8] But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. [9] The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

The Holy Spirit showed me this scripture provides a critical element of longsuffering that we overlook, which is it’s meant for the benefit of others, not ourselves.

You see, today’s verses reflect the selfish thinking natural to us. This observation ran my mind back to a passage I learned from last week, which was Psalm 73:1-3 (KJV), which lamented…
[1] Truly God is good to Israel, Even to such as are of a clean heart. [2] But as for me, my feet were almost gone; My steps had well nigh slipped. [3] For I was envious at the foolish, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

The Holy Spirit linked today’s scripture with this one to show me the reason we struggle with our longsuffering is because we focus on our pity party rather than patience pavement being laid for others to make their way to God.

That makes me think of 1 John 3:16 (NLT), which exhorts…
[16] We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

To illustrate this different way of thinking, the Holy Spirit sent me to Hebrews 12:2-4 (NLT) for further inspiration…
[2] We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. [3] Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. [4] After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Notice, Jesus endured the cross, shame and hostility. But notice Jesus was able to endure by focusing on eternity rather than the temporary.

That reminds me of Paul’s encouragement in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)…
[17] For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! [18] So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

You see the key to longsuffering is shifting our focus from temporary to eternity.

That’s what Colossians 3:2-4 (NIV) reiterates…
[2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. [3] For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

As the Holy Spirit downloaded this information, He emphasized, setting our minds is about resetting our focus.

Making it plain, the Holy Spirit showed me that rather than asking ‘how long?’, God wants us to declare ‘as long’ for His glory in another’s story.

The Holy Spirit illustrated this mentality with the Apostle Paul’s testimony in Philippians 1:20-26 (NIV)…
[20] I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. [21] For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. [22] If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! [23] I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; [24] but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. [25] Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, [26] so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.

Notice, with Paul, everything was about, and for Christ!

That brings me back to one of my favorite acronyms…

• Jesus
• Others
• You

It’s in that order that God wants us to see our lives and share His longsuffering with the hope of eternity for others.

It’s with eternity’s hope that God says, there’s no time limit on longsuffering, because it’s as long as it takes.

Therefore, let’s rethink our ‘languishing anguish’ that asks ‘how long?’, and see it instead as ‘longsuffering acuity’ that is committed to ‘as long’.

A bonus thought from the Holy Spirit is languishing focuses on self-pity, whereas longsuffering focuses on pitying others more than yourself.

Thus our Longsuffering priorities are…

• (glorifying) Jesus
• (edifying) Others
• (sacrificing) Yourself

When God wants us to longsuffer for His glory in another’s story, let’s respond with today’s song lyrics that say…

Lord, I’m available to you!

Today’s song is…
Available To You

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)