Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

When I think about gentleness I think about grace. Grace isn’t something that comes naturally to me. I’ve had to work at it. That isn’t something that sounds like a fruit of the spirit, human effort. I have to say that all outward appearance result from an inward change. The inner man may see the need to exhibit grace, the need can develop desire and desire can spur one into action.

The issue here is about what is of God and what is of man. The spirit working in us causes us to change. A new creature has to develop a new nature. It is cooperative. Agreeing with God is just one step. Allowing God to do with work in us without trying to shortcut the process means we have to patient. Perhaps this is why longsuffering comes before gentleness.

In nature fruits are produced in different climates and seasons. Some take longer and require more watering than others. Sometimes the branch has to grow to support the weight of the fruit. The observation of spiritual fruit of gentleness might require the acknowledgement by the inner man that he truly has changed. To God be the glory, not self.

Outwardly to those around you gentleness is received and they do not concern themselves with how and why it exists. But to me, the inner man, to me it does matter. Praise be to God in all things.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

This would be easier if Paul had used a word like steadfast. He didn’t. Suffering is hard on the nerves. It is hard on the body. Since we are talking about spiritual fruit, perhaps we should focus on spiritual suffering rather than physical suffering. That way we are comparing apples to apples.

How do you suffer spiritually? My first instinct is to say I suffer when I sin. The longer I go without confession and repentance, the longer I suffer. The Holy Spirit is assigned the unpleasant task of chastening us. I do not believe He enjoys it, but knows how to get us back into that abiding state of relationship with the true vine.

My second thought was over unanswered prayers. If you have issues you care deeply about, years of prayers can wear you out. There have been years of prayers for loved ones who eventually came to Christ and I rejoice. There were times when it just didn’t seem like it was going to happen. We can do that in our own strength, right? Maybe.

Then there are those periods of spiritual droughts where you don’t hear from God. It seems like no amount of prayer, listening and reading the word brings refreshment to your lips. You go over every decision, every conversation and opportunity to try and identify where you got off the path. For me the greatest suffering is when the one I love stops talking to me. It seems like many of us suffer long periods of spiritual drought.

When you come out on the other side of that one, you have changed. It turns out to be character building. Christ left the Godhead, came to earth and humbled Himself. The character built in Him over that time was not God, it was man. He felt all that we feel in separation from the Father but only greater because He had come from the Father. Perhaps those longsuffering dry spells is to show us how He might have felt.

Or maybe I am just tired of being imperfect and I cannot wait to be with Him. But I cannot do that. I have a calling and my work is not done. So I wait on His promise, and wait and wait and wait.