EP 59: What is the Fruit of the Spirit Longsuffering? How Do I Hold Steadfast through Trials and Tribulations?

Wholly Made Life™- ReClaim your Whole Life, Tap into God-Sized Fulfillment for the Success Driven Woman, Mama, Wife, Sister

Hey ladies, welcome to episode 59. This is a continuation of 58, and this is gonna be on the gift of long suffering. How many of you guys have ever thought about long suffering as a gift while I'm going to share with you? The revelation that I have recently been given related to long suffering in this episode, let's get it.

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What's up ladies. Welcome back to this episode today, I'm going to talk about the gift of long suffering. This was a a thing that I was asked to do by my pastor. And she had asked me to do a Bible study for the three spirits of the spirit long suffering gentleness and goodness. So today is gonna be all about long suffering. So if you listen to episode 57, which was the one right before this, then you are right on track. If you have not listened to that, I just told a long story about how I could not get this Bible study together until after I got through this stage of being just paralyzed about having been asked to do this. I said, yes. And then I was just paralyzed because I did not feel worthy enough to be the one to share these gifts of the spirit because of imposter syndrome.

So go back to episode 57 because not only did I talk about imposter syndrome, but I also went through how I was able to get through feeling just stuck and paralyzed related to that, that instant. So let's talk about the gift of long suffering. So you're in a situation where things are piling up. I mean, if you are listening to this, you're one of my fir you're one of my ladies. You have lots of things on your plate and you are always feeling like, listen, there's just never enough time in the day. Everything always is piling up. We don't know what to do. We don't know where to go. We feel completely out of sorts. And there is a thing about being in the place of this suffering or in this place of being overwhelmed or feeling stuck that no matter what you do, you feel like you just get deeper and deeper and deeper.

It's like, there's not enough time today. So I didn't get enough stuff done. And then tomorrow, not only is there not enough time in the day to get today's stuff done, but I still have yesterday's stuff to do. And it just feels like compounded interest and not in a good way. It's not making me wealthy. It's robbing me of time and peace and all of the things you know, so, so I feel like I use this analogy. It feels like, you know, those, the people that, and I don't have these, but I do have glasses and contacts because yeah, I am like blind as a bat without my contacts. I literally could not see who's standing in front of me without my contacts in. Okay. But, so I can't really wear these, but a lot of people are able to, they are the glasses that when you step out into the sun, they turn dark they're sunglasses.

And then when they step back into the light the darkness goes away. The thing about sunglasses, and here's the other thing that I do. I wear my sunglasses all the time on when I am driving. They're on my face. Obviously when I get outta my car, if I'm going to need them, I just put them, I keep them on the face until I walk into the building. And then I put them on my head so much so that I forget that my glasses are even on my head. Okay. So I totally forget that, that they're even there. I feel like sometimes we're in, when we're in this place of suffering, it's much like these sunglasses that people wear where they walk into the light and the shades turn dark so much. So they're so used to it that they're not even cognizant or aware that their glasses are shaded.

Their glasses have shaded to protect them from, you know, the, the ultraviolet rays and all the things, but they wear them so much. They don't even know that they're looking through these shaded glasses. That's what I feel like sometimes where we're, when we're in this place of feeling stuck or that things are so overwhelming that we start to see the world through these shaded glasses that we have forgotten that we even have on. It feels like we're drowning. It feels like we're not good enough. We're not worthy enough. We're not maybe Christian enough. We're, we're in a place of overwhelm and feeling stuck. And we just, we gotta do something to get back from it. But there are times in our lives when we're going through this stuff, this, this time of suffering or overwhelm that we forget that that actually shades the way that we see the world.

It actually, it, it changes our perception. We're seeing the world through glasses that we have forgotten that we even have on. So I know last week I mentioned a friend of mine Rochelle, who was keeping me accountable to get back on the podcast and we need sisters in our life like that. We need friends in our life like that, that are willing to say to us, huh? I, I don't see what you're seeing that way, because if we don't have people to keep us accountable and we forget that we're looking through shaded glasses that are changing our perception of what we're seeing, then we end up just swirling and going deeper and deeper and deeper into this whole of stuckness. And we don't even realize that we're there sometimes, but it's all, it's often coloring, tainting, shading, the way that we see and hear and perceive from other people.

So there's a few things I wanna read first to kind of put us in perspective of long suffering and some scriptures that I read about long suffering. John 1633 is I have said these things to you in that in me, you ha may have peace in the world. You will have tribulation, but take heart. I have overcome the world. Not might not maybe, but will, you will have tribulations. So suffering number one, he says in his word that we will have it. But take heart. He has overcome the world. We have victory Proverbs three, five through six trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding in all your ways, acknowledge him. And he will make straight your paths, Romans 8 28. And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose, James one, two, count it all joy.

My brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, when you meet trials of various kinds for, you know, that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, there's that long suffering being steadfast with faith, even though you're meeting trials of various kinds and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect, complete lacking and nothing. So when we go through trials we must have steadfastness, which reminds me of long suffering and we will be made perfect and complete and lacking in nothing he's saying that we will have in our long suffering in our overwhelm states in our, in our stuck places, we will be made perfect and complete lacking in nothing. Huh? James, one 12 blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life. How do we get the crown of life?

If we didn't go through the test, he just said for when he stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him, huh? Being steadfast, long suffering under trial. And we will receive the crown of life. So interesting. What if we don't have these long suffering periods? Do we receive the crown of life? Well, I don't know. We will go through these trials because he says we will, and we will remain steadfast in our gift of long suffering. He has given us and we will receive the crown of life. I just find this fascinating. This is like a completely new revelation that I got as I was studying for this long suffering. Once I was able to get my own over my own self first Peter four, two beloved do not be surprised at the fiery trial.

When it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. Hello, it's not strange that we're going through crazy stuff. It's not strange that we're suffering. It's not strange that we ha we're having trials and tribulations. We are supposed to go through trials and he has giving us the gift of long suffering to do that so that we may be made complete and whole lacking. Nothing made perfect in him. Okay. First Corinthians 10, 13, no temptation has overtaken you that it is not common to man. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it Philipp Philippians four, six, and seven, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your request be made, known to God in the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts in your minds and Christ Jesus.

I feel like in the gift of long suffering, the Philippians four, six, and seven is a reminder that we will remain with the peace of God, because that will surpass all understanding because it's from God. And he has prepared us perfectly with our individual gift of long suffering so that we may be able to withstand and be steadfast in our suffering. I, I just, I just found this completely revealing when I, when I went through this for, in preparation for this Bible study. So we talked about the shades, right? So, you know, when we've been praying for something for a really long time, that has not come to pass and manifested itself yet, you know, whether it's a healing, whether it's our child to get all the way back in to Christ, whether it's an addiction for someone we love, we're praying for, for an overcoming of that.

You know, there are things that we suffer through and we have to be steadfast in. He has told us multiple times and all of those scriptures that we have to remain steadfast in these trials, in these sufferings. So I think it's super important to number one, change the way we think about when we're suffering through something or when we are having to endure something for a longer duration than what we would prefer, that we have been gifted with a very specific fruit of the spirit called long suffering. So have a certain awareness of the fact that when we are suffering, it can change the way that we're seeing the world. If we are not careful to stay in the word and the truth of God that's very important. It can, you know, that example I used where, and that's the best way I CA I kept thinking about it was if I don't even know I'm looking through shaded sunglasses, I don't know that I'm looking through darkness.

I it's, if I'm not recognizing that when I step outside into the light that my shades are becoming dark, and I'm just seeing the world for what I think I see that is not the perspective that is necessarily the truth. It's only shaded in that way, because I have these glasses on that I have forgotten that I'm looking through. So it's important to become aware about what it is you're perceiving. And is that actually staked in the truth, or is it colored or tainted by these glasses? You're looking through because you are in a position of suffering, suffering changes the way that we perceive what people say to us or due to us suffering changes the way that we receive information. So it's, it's super important to just have a, do, be diligent and very intentional in these times of suffering that you are intentionally trying to perceive the world, looking through a lens that is truth, not shaded, not jaded, not tainted.

Okay. We respond differently when we receive information differently, we perceive it differently. We perceive conversations differently. We attach meanings emotions to things that sometimes if I wasn't in that place, I would never have attached that thing or that emotion to in the first place. But if I'm not intentional enough to recognize that I'm attaching emotions and feelings to something that just happened, or I just heard, because I'm in a place of darkness. If I don't realize I'm in a place of darkness, then I don't understand that. Now the way that I've responded to this was actually because I was in darkness. Not because the other person intended to be dark towards me. It it's like looking through a fog. It's like thinking that you are seeing something that just really isn't even there beyond the fog, beyond the darkness, it's actually is actually truth.

And we're just not seeing it all the way there. This is where I, I wanna go back. Oh, he, this is where I wanna go back and, and, and remind yourself, don't do this alone. He didn't intend for us to do long surf, long suffering alone. While we each have our own individualized gift, that's made specifically for us to withstand what it is we're suffering through. He didn't intend for us to do it alone. He intended for us to do it with the people that he's put in our circles, in our close proximity that are God fearing women, men, whoever that is. Your church body, your church family, your pastors, your sister, your, your sisters who are gonna hold you accountable. Like my friend did he's put those people in our circle on purpose. So let's lean on those people that we know are God ordained to be in our, in our path, in our circles.

So when we're in this spot where we feel stuck, where we are suffering through something, we need to get ourselves in a place where we can get unstuck. We we've got to get in a place where we are sure that we are perceiving things in a way that are based in truth. Okay. Here's the good news. There's always a point where you can get unstuck. There's never a time where you're too far gone or been in pain too long, that you won't be relieved of that pain or that you can't go to God and be reminded of who you are, who he says he is. And the fact that he's given us this gift along suffering. In fact, the fact that he's given us this gift long suffering demonstrates our ability to express the gift we've been given, right? The, the whole point that we are in a, a time of suffering or overwhelm or being stuck is a place where we can demonstrate his spirit, that he has given us specifically for that situation.

And it is a testimony to him when we can ha be steadfast in, in doing that long suffering is a gift we've been given by God. He is specifically and uniquely designed our gift. Just for me. My gift is just for me, because he knows every step that I'm gonna ever take. So he's designed my gift of long suffering just for me and you, my friend have your own gift of long suffering just for you. Now, we've gotten to the point where we realize, listen, we've been going through this thing for a long time. We're tired, we're weary. We are down. We're disappointed. We're all the things we're seeing things. We're, we're getting offended. That's another big, a big signal red flag that maybe you are in a place where you need to be intentional about some self awareness. When you start getting offended a lot, because honey being offended is not a spirit of God.

So when you start getting offended at what people are doing and saying to you, then you better check yourself and get to a place where you realize that you may be seeing and hearing some things that are not actually what the intent of the other person was. So we get to a point where we might have to do something. And so let's talk about a strategy that we can use to get, to activate our spirit of long suffering. We wanna activate the gift of the spirit of long suffering. So we're gonna get unstuck, and I'm gonna use the letters and unstuck to get us to activate our gift of long suffering. You understanding that God created this gift of long suffering for this very thing you're going through just for you. He's made it just for you in we're gonna nurture that thing.

We're gonna nurture the fruit along suffering. We are going to conquer our flesh, and we are going to be very intentional about being aware of how we're perceiving and receiving information and responding to that person or thing that is that is in our, in our midst, S is sufficient. His grace is sufficient, no matter how long we have to endure it, no matter how long it's been, no matter how many years, no matter how hard it's been, his grace is sufficient. He told us. So that's part of the gift that we have his grace that is completely sufficient, no matter what to be steadfast in this situation, T is time here. Here's the deal. Everything is time limited. Everything has a season. There is no season that we're gonna be in that will last our entire life. And if it does, and we go on the Lord, well, hallelujah, we're with the Lord.

You know, I mean, he said, we have the victory. So we have to activate that, that belief, that faith, that we're going to have the victory and that our victory is going to come to pass. He said, it would, he said it is finished. It is done. And we have the victory. That's present tense. So we know that whatever it is we're going through is just time limited. It has a season. And during that season, we are called to activate our gift of long suffering. You is upbeat. Be intentional about how you're perceiving information, be intentional about being, self-aware be intentional. Call yourself out, get with the group of friends, ask them, Hey, did I get offended for something that I shouldn't have? Did I read that into that? That I shouldn't have get somebody that's gonna hold you accountable and love you enough to give you feedback that you need to, to get yourself in check.

If you don't have a group of girls or a group of friends, or who, or a boss or somebody who loves you enough to give you the feedback you need to make changes, then you better get around some other people that are gonna hold you accountable, because part of love is giving feedback so that you help somebody grow. All of us should be growing. We should be seeking to grow, and we should be helping others grow. Okay? We're all supposed to be growing. See it's for courage. You, this is, this is courageous. It's courageous to activate the spirits the, the fruit of the spirit that, that we've been given. These gifts that we've been given, it is courageous. Sometimes you have to be bold and courageous in taking action to do what it is that God's called you to do and be who it is that God's called you to be.

You've got to be bold and courageous kindness. That's the key is kindness. If you are always acting in kindness, then you are being loving. You're remembering to serve other people, even when you're going through it, serving other people will pay dividends back to you because you're paying it forward. The reality is, that's what we're called to do. We're called to serve and love others. We that's, it we're called to serve. We're called to love. We are called to show kindness to others, no matter what the circumstances, it's not anyone else's issue that I have sunglasses on that I have forgotten that are on my face, and I'm seeing the world through darkness. That's not other people's issue. That's my issue that I need to get, get checked on so that I can continue to serve and love others. We make mistakes. You know, we, we mess up, but it's his grace that's sufficient to help us, you know, be convicted in that and move forward.

Apologize. Repent, ask for forgiveness when you've responded in a way, because you're looking through these glasses that, that are darkening up your world. Maybe you've damaged some relationships. Maybe you've messed up some things. Well, it's time that you acknowledge it, understand that, you know what? This is part of our spiritual walk. That being step fast, you know, through this long suffering, being patient, being faithful, being honest, having integrity, all of that is part of our walk. And so it's time to acknowledge that if there's some damage that you've caused, because you've gotten to a place where you have forgotten to activate your gift of long suffering, you gotta acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness and then move on. It's part of our walk. So that is the gift of long suffering. I just wanna encourage you today that you feel the peace of the Lord, the peace that's surpasses all understanding and understanding that he has called us to use this gift that he has prepared us for. He knows he already knows, and he is already given us the gift that we need to be able to be steadfast. When we go through trials and tribulations, God is faithful. He won't tempt us beyond our ability. He will always provide a way for us to escape so that we can endure all the things that are gonna come our way, sisters, I'm praying for you. I will see you on the next episode.

Hey, before you go, I'd love for you to hop over to my podcast and give me a review. And you know, I'd love five stars. That's how we can share this thing with other women, just like us, your five stars and written review really helps me get the word out. You can also take a screenshot of this episode and tag me in your Insta and Facebook stories. And I'll give you a shout out right back, leaving your review and sharing this episode is the best way you can show me some love. Thanks so much. And I'll see you in the next episode. And remember your smile is like a boomerang, throw one at somebody and it'll come right back.