"Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
There are 15 very distinct points, all of which are in bold print. The Bible is VERY clear on how we are to love, and what love is supposed to look like. So for the next 15 days I am going to break down each of these points, one per day. I hope you will follow with me every day and really focus on how God wants you to love. I hope you will pray to God and ask Him to help you grow in each of these areas. One step and one day at a time.
Love is PATIENT.
Phew, let me tell ya, I struggle with patience every single day of my Christian walk. It is so difficult for me to remember that I have to be patient every moment and really put all my love and attention on Jesus. I want what I want and I want it NOW! But it is not according to my will or my timeline, it is only according to God's will and His timing is always perfect, even if I don't always remember that. My patience is something that God is really working me through. He is giving me trial after trial in order for me to overcome this issue with patience. Let me break down for you the areas that I struggle in with patience:
School -
I am so sick and tired of school. I'm tired of studying and getting nowhere. I'm tired of staying up late every night trying to learn all of this material and being sleep deprived the next day. I feel like I am going in a never ending circle and that I will never be done with school. I want to be out of college with my degree and I'm ready to start my life! How many of you feel this way? God is saying slow down. We want to rush through this life, to have everything we want without really fighting for it. However, college is a season of growth. It's where God gives you people to walk with, where you find out what you want to do with your life and when you should be figuring out what God wants from you. College is a time to lay foundations. Yes, the workload sucks. Yes, it is so difficult at times. But I am trying to just be grateful that God has given me the opportunity to further my education and get a degree so that I can stand on my own two feet later in life. I am learning how to be a woman, allowing God to mold me into the creation He is calling me to be.
Marriage/Kids -
Now what girl in her right mind doesn't man to get married and have cute little babies with the man of her dreams?! Psh, you're lying if you say you don't. I want it now now now now NOW. But the same is true for what I said with school: this is a season of growth. You have GOT to learn who you are in Christ as a woman (or man) before you can be in a successful Godly relationship. During your single season, allow God to work on you and show you what being a husband or wife looks like according to His word. The more you put your focus on Jesus the easier it will be to wait. I promise.
So believe me when I say I know what it's like to struggle with patience.
Now for a quick little testimony:
This morning, Tyler was supposed to pick me up for class. He text me at 7:00 to let me know he was awake, and I text him back about 2 minutes later saying I was awake as well. He never replied, so I text him about 20 minutes later just to ask him when he was heading to campus. No reply ever came. So I text him again at 8:00 and said "I will walk. See you later!" At this point my patience was still intact and I figured he must just be working out or something, and I didn't mind walking. But soon, 9:00 rolled around and I still hadn't heard from him. We had a class together at 9:05. At this point I was getting frustrated, trying to figure out why he hadn't text me back yet. Maybe 15 minutes into class he text me that he had fallen back asleep and that he was sorry. "This is SO typical of him," was what I immediately thought. I wanted to be angry at him but instead I decided to give it to God and I prayed for understanding and patience.
I made a choice in that situation. I could have decided to be angry and annoyed with Tyler and treat him bitter, but instead I decided to be humble and exercise my patience. And in the end I felt so good about it that I was much more patient throughout the day than I normally am!
Now here's the part I really want you to get and understand...
Why be patient? The answer is simple: God has been and always is patient with you.
"But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." -Psalm 86:15
"The Lord is now slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." -2 Peter 3:9
Guys, this is powerful stuff. God is PATIENT with us. Even when we sin and go about our own selfish ambition and say "Oh hey God, yeah I see you, I know you are there but I will come back for you when I'm done doing what I want to do," He is still patient with you and waiting. He shows you unending grace and mercy. Do you understand that God could give you any punishment He wanted? Do you understand how POWERFUL our Lord is?
"But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding." -Jeremiah 10:12
It's so important that we realize God's power and His wrath. But it's also important to realize that because Jesus shed His blood for our sins, we have forgiveness and undeserved patience. God doesn't HAVE to be patient with us, He CHOOSES to be, because He loves us.
So is it really that hard to extend patience to people in your life? Is it really that hard to rest in the Lord and be patient with areas in your life that aren't happening according to your timeline? God's timing is perfect. His will is perfect. Ask Him to show you how to be patient.
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