Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Patience and love go hand in hand. This scripture has been on my heart but it was a reflection of patience for me. As I continually grow both physically and spiritually, milestones in my life cause me to reflect. I reflect on who I am, where I am going and what I am doing to get there. Patience has been a word that my close friends and family used to describe me on many occasions. However, It was a conditional patience that I possessed. 1 Corinthians describes love as the greatest thing to have and if you do not have it, you have nothing. God's love - agape love - is unconditional and his patience is everlasting. Patience, like love, is necessary in all situations. In order to truly forgive - you must be patient. In order to truly maintain love - you must be patient. Butterflies, bells and whistles of love come naturally as you start to develop feelings; but there's a patience that has to come along with it in order to maintain the natural high of love. Relationships take patience and developing a calm patience, ironically enough, takes patience. If God had no patience, what a world of trouble we would be in!
Patience also comes in our everyday actions and/or decisions. People (including myself) struggle to save money in so many areas because of a lack of patience. In today's society everything is about convenience. Fast food, Faster food, Jiffy Lube, Drive thru coffee and more. If we took a little time out of our busy schedules to be patient and do a few things ourselves; not only would we save money but we would learn lessons in developing patience along the way. I recently taught myself how to braid hair. I started out practicing on my fiance's daughter and right after I finished I called and made a hair appointment to get mine braided. It was recently time to get it redone and I was having a meltdown because I HAD to get my hair done and I didn't know how it was going to fit into my schedule and so on and so forth. Patience fell heavy on my heart and I woke up the next day and decided to try braiding it myself. I did it, it's not professional but I know I will get there. With practice and patience. The enemy went to work on my mind saying that I couldn't do it, It was going to take to long and - my favorite statement - "I don't have the patience for that..." the thing is, I DO have the patience for it if I choose to have it.
Patience, like love and so many other things is a choice we make. A state of mind that you choose to have. For all the control freaks out there...to not have patience is a lack of control over your mind. So renew your mind and get your thoughts in order. To be absent of love is to have nothing, but without patience true love will not surface.
Brew coffee at home, make a home cooked meal...What can you do in your daily life routine to allow yourself a lesson in patience?
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