There are very few Sunday School teachers who have not had their faith sorely tested, and have felt discouraged and on the point of giving up. And then, in many cases, the very fact of this has cast them more in dependence on the Lord, so that they have been helped and sustained. It is in connection with this testing that I have written the verse at the top of this article.
" Love suffereth long, and is kind." In these few words I believe we shall find much that is needed for our work. We shall need to be long suffering. The boys and girls try our patience, they test our faith, and at times we are at a loss what to do. Besides this, the souls we long to see saved, often remain careless and indifferent; those we are praying for are not always saved as soon as we would desire it. " Love suffereth long." We by nature could not do this; naturally we lose our tempers, we get impatient, but the love which is spoken of in 1 Cor. 8. suffereth long, and is in reality the outflow of the new nature that God has given us. It is blessed to read these qualities of divine love, all of which have been so blessedly told out in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In connection with this it is well to remember that long suffering is that which has characterized all God's dealings with mankind. Surely we each realize this for ourselves if we but think a little. When the Name of the Lord was proclaimed to Moses in Ex. 34. we read, " The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." When the Apostle Paul speaks of his own conversion, he testifies to this long suffering, saying in 1 Tim. 1:1616Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. (1 Timothy 1:16), " that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting." Then again we read of the long suffering of God waiting in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing. We would remember, too, that the answer to those who would think the Lord slack concerning His promise, is given in those blessed words, " The Lord is not slack concerning His promise... but is long suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Oh! dear fellow Sunday School teacher, may we be led to adore the One Who in long suffering waited for us to be brought to Himself.
Let us now apply this for ourselves. We find that the Apostle Paul in writing in 2 Cor. 6. could mention long suffering as one of the characteristics of his service. And turning to Gal. 5 we find that " the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering." Love in all its various characteristics must be that which will enable us to go on in spite of difficulties and discouragements by the way, ever turning the heart to the source of all for strength and help to carry on, as we read, " But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth."
Again, it is well to remember what turned us to repentance, was it not the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and long suffering? For He Who endures with much long suffering the vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction, has done the same to us, but through grace that goodness and long suffering have bowed our hearts before Him. We have seen ourselves as He sees us, guilty and lost, and have been glad to return as the prodigal, and to know and enjoy that love we so long slighted.
Oh, may the Lord just melt our hearts before Him, and give us all that needed patience and grace and long suffering, and so enable us to win hearts for Him. Nothing but love broke down our hearts, and it is only this that will break the hard and stubborn hearts we sometimes meet. Oh to be more in the school of Christ to learn of Him, and so be more fitted to lead others to Him!