“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.” 1 Corinthians 13:4
February 27, 2023
What does love look like? How does it talk? How does it behave? These are down to earth questions we ought to ask about love. But first we need to understand that love is not a mere emotion, some vaporous feeling that comes and goes. Love is not merely a cold mental state. Love is not lust, merely a pursuit of sexual satisfaction. Genuine love is possible because God is love and from him it flows through Jesus Christ, and is poured into the heart by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:1-8). As Christians we have the possibility of God’s love being seen in us. We start with patience. Love chooses to persist creatively when suffering at the hands of someone else. It doesn’t give up. People are difficult, exasperating, and slow. Aren’t we? Think of how patient God has been with us. Never has there been a more patient person than when Jesus walked the dusty roads of Palestine. He didn’t give up on His slow-to-get-it disciples. Jesus is our example. Do I refuse to retaliate when wronged or irritated? If you want to be more patient, talk to God about it and then don’t be surprised when your spouse keeps you waiting, or your waiting time in the doctor’s office is changing your plans for the rest of the day. Patience thinks God’s thoughts while waiting.
H
“Love knows that God is patient and that He has been wonderfully patient with us.”