Love is Patient

I don’t think it is an overstatement to say that all Christians are familiar with
the content in 1 Corinthians 13. We commonly refer to it as the chapter on love.

That is the subject Paul speaks on in this chapter. He wanted to show the Corinthiansa “more excellent way” (12:31). Although he encouraged them to seek the spiritual gifts, his desire for them was to develop the greatest gift of all — love.

How would you define love? Is it a feeling? Is it romance, as in boy meets girl, boy
dates girl, boy marries girl? Is it natural affection?

It is these things to be sure, but the love Paul speaks of here goes beyond mere
feelings and emotions. The love the apostle writes about is a state of mind that
manifests itself in how it behaves toward others.

In verses four though eight, Paul describes how love behaves. The first thing he says about is that love is patient.

Patience is probably one of the most difficult virtues for human beings to practice. We don’t like to wait for anything. I ordered a small coffee the other morning at McDonalds and had to wait over 10 minutes to receive it because it was busy and the staff was scrambling to prepare all the orders. Our patience is sorely tested late in the day when we’re stuck in traffic, trying to make it home.

Practicing patience in circumstances like these is hard enough, but practicing it
towards other people, including our brethren sometimes, is doubly hard. I believe this is what Paul is getting at.

When he speaks of love being patient, he is talking about patience with each other. It is the opposite of being quick–tempered. It is a godlike quality, for God Himself exercises patience towards us. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 ESV).

In the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:23–35), the slave pleads with his master, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” Feeling compassion for the man, the master forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and demanded another who owed him to pay up, and when the man similarly pleaded for patience, the servant was unwilling to extend the same measure of mercy to his fellow slave. Enraged, the master cast the worthless slave into prison until he should repay everything.

Paul exhorts Christians in their walk with the Lord to exercise humility, gentleness, and patience, “bearing with one another in love,” (Eph.4:2). Conflicts naturally arise
between us sometimes. We’re all at different levels of understanding and growth.
Some are inclined towards optimism, others towards pessimism. We are not a one “size–fits–all” congregation; none exists. Each of us must “fit in” with each other by striving to be like God, showing patience and forbearance with one another, working  together to build up the body. –  Kurt Paquette