"Long-Suffering Toward All"

Jehovah's long-suffering toward mankin places us under a moral obligation to "be long-suffering toward all." (1 Thessalonians 5:14) This means being patient with non-witness family members, neighbors,colleagues at work and classmates. Many prejudices have been overcome by Witnesses who, sometimes for many years, put up with sarcastic remarks or outright opposition from people with whom they associated at work or at school. (Colossians 4:5, 6) The apostle Peter wrote: " Maintain your conduct fine among the nations, that, in the thing in which they are speaking against you as evildoers, they may as a result of your fine works of which they are eyewitnesses glorify God in the day for his inspection." - 1Peter 2:12.

Jehovah's long-suffering will mean salvation for millions. (2 Peter3:9, 15) IF we imitate Jehovah's love and long-suffering, we will patiently continue preaching the good news of God's Kingdom and teaching others to submit to Christ's Kingdom rule. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 13:10)

If we were to stop preaching, it would be as if we wanted to limit Jehovah's long-suffering and failed to recognize its purpose, which is to bring people to repentance.- Romans 2:4.

In his letter to Christians in Colossae, Asia Minor, Paul wrote: " That is also why from the day we heard of it, have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the accurate knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension, in order to walk worthily of Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing him as you go on bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the accurate knowledge of God, being made powerful with all power to the extent of his glorious might so as to endure fully and be long-suffering with joy." - Colossians 1:9-11.

Jehovah's continued long-suffering, or patience, will not be a test to us if we are "filled with the accurate knowledge of his will," which is that "all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth." (1Timothy 2:4) We will "go on bearing fruit in every good work," particularly that of preaching "this good news of the kingdom." (Matthew 24:14)

If we faithfully continue to do this, Jehovah will make us "powerful with all power," enabling us "to fully endure and be long-suffering with joy." So doing, we will "walk worthily of Jehovah," and we will have the peace that comes from knowing that we are "fully pleasing him."

May we be thoroughly convinced of the wisdom of Jehovah's long-suffering. It works for our salvation and for the salvation of those who listen to our preaching and teaching. (1Timothy 4:16) Cultivating the fruitage of the spirit-love, kindness, goodness, mildness and self-control-will enable us to be joyfully long-suffering. We will be better able to live at peace with members of our family as well as with our brothers and sisters, within the congregation. Long-suffering will also help us to be patient with our workmates or schoolmates. And our long-suffering will have a purpose, that of saving wrongdoers and of glorifying the God of long-suffering , Jehovah.