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Love is Patient
God is love, love is
patient. That means God is patient.
Patience is often considered a passive
activity, but it is not. Patience is
the ability to remain calm in the midst
of unfavorable circumstances. It is the
ability to withstand unpleasant
situations with disciplined self
control.
Patience does not come
easily. Because of the nature of this
love characteristic, it must be
developed in unfavorable circumstances.
You really don’t have to have patience
when everything is going well; but you
need a wellspring of it when things are
unpleasant.
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Proverbs 14:29 says:
A patient man has great understanding,
but a quick-tempered man displays
folly.
Developing patience does not occur
overnight. It is developed through
experiences that test your faith.
Patience grows every time we choose to
persevere. We can choose to remain
steady when we choose to trust God's
love. By trusting in God's love
and His promise to work everything for
the good of those who love Him, we can
endure difficult circumstances.
While
developing patience, it is not necessary
to like the situation or to have all of
the answers. As a matter of fact,
we are told:
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Trying times in our life are an
opportunity to grow in endurance. (James
1:3-4)
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We are even encouraged to ask God for
wisdom.
(James
1:5)
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We are instructed to believe in God
alone, or expect nothing from the Lord.
(James
1:6-8)
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We could never
learn to be brave and patient if
there were only joy in the
world.
Helen Keller (1880-1968) |
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