Fruits of the Spirit: Forbearance & Self-Control

Psalm 37:7-9

Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Forbearance is not a word we typically use in contemporary language. It literally means holding back. This word can also be translated as long-suffering or slow to anger. Many Bible translations call it patience. Whatever meaning we choose, it is not an easy fruit to humanly cultivate. In the mind of God, it is choosing not to retaliate when wronged, which requires more than patience. Just like God does not sweep our sins under the rug and ignore them, but he purposefully holds back his righteous wrath so that in his kindness he can show us grace through Christ Jesus. That is a divine characteristic that can only be achieved through His grace. For the purpose of today’s devotion, forbearance is coupled with the fruit of self-control (the last fruit mentioned in Galatians 5), since they are so closely aligned in meaning and motive. When the Holy Spirit fills us with the fruit of forbearance or patience it allows us to exercise self-control. As difficult as it is to submit to, self-control elevates our sense of self-respect as we witness what God can do in our circumstances when we stay out of His way! That’s when we must give Him all the glory since we know that but for His grace, we would have made a mess of the situation. Yesterday, we discussed making peace an overall priority in your co-parent relationship. Today, think of forbearance and self-control as priorities for your communication.