Our anchor passage, I. Cor. 13:4-7 begins with "Love is patient." We started by looking deeply into longsuffering, which is having mercy and forgiveness. Now, in part 3, we see exactly what patience is.
Before moving forward, the anchor passage tells us how to love and treat all people that cross our paths. This our outgoing behaviors and do not rely on how they treat us. This is how we as Christians are to treat all people, regardless of how they treat us. So let's all keep that in mind as we move forward. This love is a decision on how we will treat all people and is decision-based, not feelings-based. Let's look at our anchor passage again.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
See? This is all outflowing action regardless of what the recipient does. Regardless how they treat us. So this love can truly be "unconditional love," because it is not dependent on their response. So let's keep that in mind as we move forward.
Okay, so if love is patient, what is patience?
Defined, patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry. It also involves endurance and forebearance:
Endurance- the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way.
Forebearance- patient self-control, restraint, and tolerance.
Simply, patience is staying under control while we go through unpleasant things in life. We endure hard or difficult situations or people with self-control and restraint. We don't get angry or fly off the handle when things do not go our way.
So, with patience, we persevere through anything and anyone. If "love is patient," then we decide to stay under control with everyone, no matter who they are or what they do.
Why do any of this? Why not be ruled by your emotions and feelings? Because as Christians we represent Jesus to those around us. We want them to be saved and go to heaven too. The Holy Spirit inside us will help with all of this. Let's be led by the Holy Spirit and not our emotions and feelings.
Now, let's reference scriptures pertaining to patience.
Job 2:10 NIV
[10] He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
Proverbs 14:29-30 NIV
[29] Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. [30] A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 15:18 NIV
[18] A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.
Proverbs 16:32 NIV
[32] Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 NIV
[8] The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
Lamentations 3:26 NIV
[26] it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Luke 21:19 NIV
[19] Stand firm, and you will win life.
Romans 5:3-5 NIV
[3] Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; [4] perseverance, character; and character, hope. [5] And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 12:12 NIV
[12] Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Colossians 1:9-14 NIV
[9] For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, [10] so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, [11] being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, [12] and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. [13] For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 NIV
[14] And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
2 Thessalonians 3:5 NIV
[5] May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
1 Timothy 6:11 NIV
[11] But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
2 Timothy 2:24 NIV
[24] And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
Titus 1:7-8 NIV
[7] Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. [8] Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
Hebrews 10:36 NIV
[36] You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
[1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
James 1:2-4 NIV
[2] Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:19-20 NIV
[19] My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, [20] because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
James 5:7-9 NIV
[7] Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. [8] You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. [9] Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door.
1 Peter 2:20-25 NIV
[20] But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. [21] To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. [22] “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” [23] When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. [24] “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” [25] For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
2 Peter 1:3-8 NIV
[3] His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [4] Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. [5] For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; [6] and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; [7] and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. [8] For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This concludes our study on being patient. Love is patient!!! Next, "love is kind."
Love you all dear readers,
Jeffrey Post
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