A Fruit In SeasonSample

Forbearance

“Makrothumia.” It’s a Greek word used to describe another example of the Holy Spirit’s fruit. “Makro” means “long.” “Thumos” means “anger.” So “makrothumia” literally means “long to get angry.” We would call it patience, or forbearance.

Meet Archer. He goes from zero to boiling in under 60 seconds. He’s easily offended. He punches back. He wears a proactive frown. To be fair, Archer is only four. He’s a work in progress.

We’re well past preschool, but we’re still a lot like Archer. We find little virtue in curbing our frustration, holding our tongues, or turning the other cheek. We think spite is our right.

Meet God. He, if anyone, has a right to anger. Think of Adam’s fateful bite, the grumbling Israelites, the spiritually blind Pharisees, the slow-to-believe disciples, your hair-trigger temper, my mean streak. What has stopped God from slamming heaven’s door and pitching humanity into hell’s abyss? “Makrothumia,” that’s what. God is slow to anger. And what genuine relief that gives us when we “bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation” (2 Peter 3:15).

God patiently withheld his anger over our sin until the day his Son hung on a cross--and then God punished Jesus in our place. God still exercises perfect patience. He wants us to repent, not perish, and so he forbears and forgives. He treats us gently, as works in progress.

Thank you, God, for being slow to anger, for not giving up on me. When my own patience is tested, help me bear with others in love.