Patiently Loving Me To Serve You
The term “forbearance” is used in the financial arena as a “forbearance agreement” meaning when the borrower is unable to pay their mortgage the lender agrees NOT to exercise its legal right to foreclose but agree to a plan to bring the burrower current over a period of time. Here the lender exercises forbearance toward the borrower.
Also, there is a “student loan forbearance agreement”, which allows students to pause their student loan payments during a period of time that they cannot pay their loan sometimes without interest. These government agencies exercises forbearance toward the student.
There are other words that the Bible uses for the word, “forbearance” – patience and self-control.
I can recall for a long time a particular sin had a stronghold in my life. I would constantly commit this sin. This sin started as a speck and grew to a plank. I always prayed about it and asked God to forgive me but never allowed and trusted the Holy Spirit to appropriate that power to break it. I became judgmental toward other Christians when they did something that I thought was against God’s word. Until one day the Holy Spirit gently and loving whispered in my ear:
“You must first take the plank out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Matthew 5:7
That was a wakeup call and my whole life changed. That was the straw that broke my heart. I truly repented and asked God’s forgiveness and now I am free of that sin and on my way to a healthier and more joyful life in Christ.
Why did I use this testimony, because God in his infinite mercy, shows great forbearance great patience toward us when we sin and deliberately disobey Him! Romans 3:25 says:
“God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood, He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance (holy patience) he had left the sins committed beforehand (before the law was given) unpunished”
Romans 3:25
God did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Our Father truly shows great patience toward us in our walk with Him.
Exodus 34:7 says
“The Lord, our Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. God shows his love and patience to a thousand generations.”
Exodus 34:7
It is His desire that none perish in their sin. What about forbearance in our everyday life with one another. Ephesians 4:2 says:
“Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:2
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and PATIENCE. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3:12-13
What a command!
Jesus himself says:
“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. BUT I say to you, do not resist an evil person, but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him, also, if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. “
Matthew 5v38-41:
Now that’s having great forbearance/patience/self-control. What Jesus is saying to us as His children is STOP exercising acts of the letter of the law (flesh and satisfying self) but go deeper into our regenerated heart (the supernatural heart) and act on the Spirit of the law. The Spirit has the power to go ten miles, give the coat and the other cheek, if we allow Him. With God’s love flowing in and through us, we can exercise the fruit of forbearance – patience and self-control with our new heart in Christ.
I challenge myself and you today, let’s step out of our small tent of patience and self-control and come out and look up in the sky of the heavens and see the many stars the big picture of how Jesus wants us to exercise forbearance/patience/self-control His way, by the Spirit not by the law. Let us release ourselves from our way (flesh and self) and enter in the Spirit’s way through the new heart that Jesus gave us when He entered in and began to sup with us. We’ll be surprise what this new heart is capable of when Jesus is in charge! Only He can do it in and through us to be patient toward one another.