FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: FORBEAR ONE ANOTHER?? HUH???

Galatians 5:22-23

New International Version (NIV)

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Today I have been thinking about "forbearance". This is the fourth component of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. What does this word mean? Forbearance means that we are living the way of God in such a way that we are looking for the best in people and not wanting to judge them but see God's plan carried out on their behalf.  It is an absence of malice toward those who are apt to wrong us or sin against us. 

First, let's look at what living without forbearance causes in our lives. Sometimes it puts in perspective what something is to discover what it isn't. Without forbearance we will experience the following.

• we don't care about people but instead focus on their sin. The result of this type of living is that we walk in judgement. This separates us from God and we are guilty of judging others without caring about the circumstances or wounds that created their behavior.
• we are also guilty of holding resentment against those who wrong us or the ones that we love. This activity will cause us to use up all kinds of energy spiritually so that we are distracted from God's will and love.
• we will be guilty of keeping a record of hurts and wounds. Things that should be forgiven and under the blood of Christ, remain in our minds and hearts bringing us to a place that gives birth to bitterness that contaminates every thought and deed.
• the next step in this process is that we begin to withhold fellowship from everyone because there is a lack of trust and a spiritual barrier that keeps us from letting anyone in and causes us to resist really investing in the lives of others.
• the end result is that we wish something evil on people who have hurt us or offended us in some way. We want to SEE revenge and witness them reaping what they have sown. We are guilty at this point of taking joy in seeing someone else being hurt.

All of these things are cruel and sinful. This is not the life that God has anointed and ordained that we should walk in. The word tells us that when we love someone, we desire to heal them and be a cover for them. Not condoning sin but instead to be a factor in them being healed from the root cause, whatever that may be. Forbearance is sort of like walking in "pre-forgiveness". We already know that people are going to mess up so we determine in our hearts that when that happens, we are committed to not letting that destroy the work of God that is in us.

What an awesome part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit forbearance is. This display of God in your life will surely display the work that God does in the believer. Go ahead and give those around you permission to be human with the knowledge that when you do get hurt (and you will) that you have a God big enough to heal and keep you on the right track. We could all use a little forbearance...just sayin'