Life is, by its very nature, quite exposing. Its constant flux tests us recurrently regardless of our preparation. Ready or not, its demands plow deep into our fiber at a velocity rarely expected, exacting reactions which at times cannot be postponed. It thus lays bare our true entity, and this, without shame or remorse.

Thus, time and again, the school of life has succeeded to unmask our true self, revealing—among other things—our lack of virtue or the degree thereof. For all this and more, we humans should be grateful to God, and more so if we belong to the household of the Faith.

A healthy exposure

The unveiling mentioned above will always be consequential. It will either prompt an improvement or numb the conscience, depending of the state of one’s heart.

How many times our lack of patience or our want of longsuffering has been brought to our attention? What have we done as a consequence? Did we cry out to God, asking for mercy and help, or did we brush it off on the pretext that we are not worse than others, turning their failures into a pillow upon which to rest our conscience?

In this concise post I will briefly define the difference between patience and longsuffering, for both virtues are intrinsic to the life of Christ, and consequently, to the Christian life. The relevant question is: Is this life manifested in our flesh? We know for certain that it was manifested in the flesh of the apostle Paul. Here are his words:

Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Cor. 4:10,11).

Actually, these words define what a Christian is, i.e., a person through which the life of Christ is being manifested, and manifested in his mortal flesh. It follows that the Christian life will always be observable if not eclipsed by carnality.

The foundation of our hope

In its totality, the Christian life is a gift coming from above, and as such, it is sustained through a supernal power. For instance, we read in Colossians:

strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy” (Col. 1:11).

Without this divine strengthening there would be no hope of success. It would be frustration on frustration and defeat on defeat. But happily it is not so, for God is not gone on holidays. He is present and ready to sustain those who trust in Him. Consequently, Christianity is—and always will be—based on the working of God.

To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily” (Col. 1:29).

So the relevant questions are: Do we strive according to His working, or at the best of our abilities? Does His working work in us mightily as it did in the life of the Apostles? One thing is certain: we can be strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy” (Col. 1:11).

What is patience?

To be patient means, to control oneself positively while waiting. It might be waiting for a promise or for a bus, or perhaps for an appointment or for the stopping of the rain. Be what it may, the person who has patience will have the ability to wait without becoming disconcerted or anxious. Therefore patience amounts to the attitude one has in relation to future events. The Greek word used to describe this ability is hypomonē.

What is longsuffering?

Contrary to patience, longsuffering is not related to future events. It is rather interconnected with the present. It can be defined as the ability to forbear a situation, which is—in most cases—related to someone. In essence, it deals with the negative actions and attitudes of others. We could say: It is a forbearance of difficult situations or problematic characters, exercised without becoming frustrated or irritated.

For instance, something or someone should—in normality—get on our nerves and make us leave the path of gentleness, but the love that suffers long—the love that is kind—to which Paul refers in 1 Cor. 13:4, causes us to remain benevolent.

The Greek word used to describe this ability is makrothymia. It contrasts with hypomonē since the former deals with the present and the latter with the future. Therefore we can say: Patience is the ability to wait for something absent, while longsuffering is the ability to forbear something present.

Two concepts

The two ideas are clearly reflected in 2 Peter:

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

To wait calmly for a promise is connected with patience, but to forbear the actions and attitudes of others is connected with longsuffering. In several languages the word patience is often used to express both concepts, in which case the context defines the meaning; but in the Greek language hypomonē expresses a single concept—the other being expressed through the word makrothymia.

Conclusion

Before closing, let us consider that longsuffering is an ineradicable part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). This is one of the reasons we have not been exterminated yet, for God is filled with goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering (Rom. 2:4). Added to it, He wants to strengthen us with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy (Col. 1:11). This is indeed absolutely wonderful and a subject of rejoicing.

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