Love is patient

This morning I was thinking about  love as it is described in 1 Corinthian 13. Paul begins his description of the characteristics of love with "love is patient."  

This led me to Google and a search for the definition of patient.  Here is what I found:

pa·tient
ˈpāSHənt/
adjective
adjective: patient
  1. 1.
    able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.

Love is able to accept or tolerate delays without becoming annoyed or anxious.  Love accepts suffering.  Love tolerates problems.  All without becoming annoyed or anxious.  

Hmm?

Am I accepting and tolerant.  Paul says "Love is".  Do I become annoyed and anxious with delays, problems and suffering?  The bible says "love is patient."  

I am still a work in progress.  God is not done with me yet.  I long to have a love like Jesus that is not easily annoyed and anxious when delays, problems and suffering are present.  

Delays will come.  Problems are inevitable.  Suffering happens.  As I work to love my wife, my children, my family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and all people as Jesus loves,  I will experience them all.  My response should be to love without letting the anxiety take over.  Love without allowing myself to just become annoyed.  I will certainly need God's help in this.  It is a good thing he says he will love through us.  He will come and make his home with us and in us so that  his love, which is patient, will overflow from us.

Today, I am trying to be conscious of how my love is, or is not, patient.  I am leaning on Jesus to take this lump of clay and mold it into His masterpiece.  I give my love, and my idea of what love is, to Jesus. 

Lord, help me to accept and to tolerate delays, problems, and suffering without becoming anxious or annoyed.  Amen.

In Christ's Love and mine,
Doug

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