1 Corinthians 13:1 *"If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal*" (TPT).
*LOVE IS PATIENT*
One word that is common on the lips of believers and unbelievers is the word "love". In our world today, "I love you" flies around. If you ask people to define love, you'll hear something like "love is a feeling".
When Paul defined love, the first definition he gave is not related to romantic feeling or excitement, he said, "Love is Patient".
1 Corinthians 13:4 says, *"Love is large and incredibly patient...*"(TPT)
A good synonym for patience is "long suffering". It’s the kind of patience that can wait long, hurt long, and still not give up. This aspect of love is not a response to what is "good", rather, it is a dimension of love that says, inspite of how you hurt me, I won't give up on you.
God is the model of that kind of love. He is incredibly patient with us to see us change and conform to the image of Christ. If God had given up on us, all of us will not be here today.
*Exodus 34:6* says, *"The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, *slow to anger* and abounding in steadfast love*" .
Look at how the potter makes a clay into a beautiful flower vase. That perfection doesn't happen in one day. The clay comes dirty and wet but the patience of a potter will turn it around gradually into a beautiful craft to behold. That's love. An impatient man cannot be a potter.
*In marriage, your spouse will be "wet clay" sometimes. Moody, slow to change, making the same mistake. In parenting, your child will test you several times before they learn*.
*In church or at work, that brother/sister will offend you and apologize several times for the same thing but patience says, "I’m not throwing you away. God is still molding you, and I’ll stay on the wheel with you*".
Patience is slow to react (James 1:19). Patience is slow to give up on people; stop threatening your spouse that you're done with your marriage in the face of slight argument. Patience is slow to compare; never compare your spouse/ children with others. They are at a different phase of molding in the hands of God.
Father, teach me to love like you in Jesus name.