1 Corinthians 13: 4-13

Today is Valentine’s Day.  I thought this would be a great day to start a new faith series focused on love. I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while but wasn’t sure when to start it. And then it hit me, the most commercialized, romantic, day of the year. Valentine’s Day!

My plan is to break the entire 1 Corinthians 13: 4-13 passage into short sections each week. (Hopefully I can stay on top of this.) So here goes week one.

Love is patient

I find the first description of love the hardest. I try, I really try to be patient but it can be very hard some days. Have you ever heard, don’t ask for patience because God will put you in situations that test your patience? I did that once and He really put me in a lot of situations that proved I wasn’t trying to gain patience! God has a good sense of humor.

I lose my patience so many times during the day. Trying to get out of the door seems to hit the “patient-meter” through the roof. What part of ‘hurry, hurry’ don’t they understand?

And then I stop and realize, being inpatient gets me nowhere. It only raises my blood pressure, increases my stress level and hardens my heart. And that is only what it does to me. What does it do to my children? What does it do to my husband? How does my impatient behavior reflect love? It doesn’t.

My husband and I discussed this and a lot of our inpatient behavior comes from being selfish. We want the kids to go to bed so WE can start our night. We want the kids out the door because WE don’t want to look bad being late. For me, a lot of my inpatient behavior stems from my pride. Many times I find myself being inpatient because I EXPECT the person to know what I know, to remember something like I remember, to have what I have.

Patience is a state of being. Yet it makes me feel the complete opposite. If patience is the definition of love, then I am not living a good example of the definition.

Time and time again, Jesus shows patient during his public ministry. He is patient with Nicodemus, whom questions Jesus over and over again. Not once did Jesus respond coldly and push him away. Not once did Jesus roll His eyes and tell Nicodemus that ‘He was tired of saying the same thing over and over again.’

One of the beloved disciples, Peter, is over and over again saying and doing foolish things. Not once does Jesus scold Him. Not once does Jesus remove him from His group. Peter even denies Jesus three times! When Jesus rises from the dead, He forgives Peter. He doesn’t become inpatient with Peter’s behavior and actions. Instead, He gives Peter the keys to the church.

Over and over again, Jesus is patient throughout His public ministry. Even when He is humiliated, mocked, spit on, beaten, etc. Jesus remains still. He is the ultimate example of patient.

Dear Jesus, if only I had a sliver of your patient I would be the person I want to be. I humble myself before you, dear Lord. Soften my heart and help me be a patient wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend. I pray that I will strive for patient in all aspects of my life, dear Lord, just like you showed throughout your life on earth.