Clothed With Long-Suffering

The apostle Paul likened long-suffering and other Godly qualities to garments that the Christian should put on after stripping off practices characteristic of "the old personality." (Colossians 3:5-10) He wrote: " As God's chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowlines of mind, mildness, and long-suffering. Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Even as Jehovah freely forgave you, so do you also. But, besides all these things, clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union."- Colossians 3:12-14.

When members of a congregation 'clothe themselves' with compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, long-suffering and love, they are able to resolve problems and go forward unitedly in Jehovah's service. Christian overseers in particular need to be long-suffering. There may be times when they need to reprove another Christian, but there are different ways of doing this. Paul described the best attitude when he wrote to Timothy: "Reprove, reprimand, exhort, with all long-suffering and art of teaching." (2Timothy 4:2) Yes, Jehovah's sheep should always be treated with long-suffering, dignity and tenderness. - Matthew 7:12; 11:28; Acts 20:28, 29; Romans 12:10.