"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT
What is love?
Based on scripture, love is patient first and foremost.
Ok then, so what's patience? Patience is defined as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.
So there you have it, love is patient and patience is not getting upset or angry no matter the pain or struggle you happen to be experiencing.
How many of us are able to achieve this?
Personally, I often fail when it comes to demonstrating patience. Like with almost everything in my life (husband, family, friends, pets, etc).
Now, logic would suggest if that's the case; does that mean I'm failing to love the way God has called us to?
Well...yeah!
We cannot say we love someone and insist on being impatient and short with them.
You can't have love without patience and you can't have patience without love.
They're bestfriends, husband and wife, joined together forever.
Now, I know we're human and in being human, patience doesn't always come easy; however, lets not forget we're not in this fight alone.
God is the embodiment of love. Think about how perfectly patient He is with us.
Well...yeah!
We cannot say we love someone and insist on being impatient and short with them.
You can't have love without patience and you can't have patience without love.
They're bestfriends, husband and wife, joined together forever.
Now, I know we're human and in being human, patience doesn't always come easy; however, lets not forget we're not in this fight alone.
God is the embodiment of love. Think about how perfectly patient He is with us.
I could only imagine what it would be like if God responded to me the way I respond to the things that test my patience on a daily basis. It's frightening to imagine. Yet, eye opening for sure.
Scripture also says, "God is love and anyone who does not love does not know God." (1 John 4:8 NLT- “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ”)
Scripture also says, "God is love and anyone who does not love does not know God." (1 John 4:8 NLT- “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ”)
Are we being intentional? How often are we taking this to the Lord?
Now, since we know what love is, God is love and love is patient, who has God called us to love?
Everyone. Yep, I said it, everyone!
This is not just for our families, friends, or even our spouses. We are commanded to love everyone even the people we may not be fond of. That neighbor who might be a little nosier than we may like or the one who has the dog that barks all hours of the night. We gotta love 'em just how Christ loves us. (John 13:34 NLT)
Love without patience isn't love at all.
Ask yourself who do you love?
Genuinely love not just have strong feelings of affection towards.
Can we say that we show God's love to even our enemies on a daily basis? Heck, can we say we show God's love to our own households on a daily basis?
I'll be the first to admit it. No, not like I should.
And although it's a harsh reality, it's also a beautiful truth. Not beautiful in the aspect that its ok, but beautiful because God has opened my eyes and exposed my heart to me so now I can bring it to Him daily in prayer.
My friends, we have to be willing to die to ourselves and hand over our lives to God so we may embody His vision of love.
We have to be willing to let go of what we think love is and adopt God's definition of love.
I don't care who it is but I challenge you to make the conscious decision everyday to love everyone. Not our way, but God's way.