It is rarely said of me that I am patient. When I decide I want something, I want it now!
When I look at pop culture, I see I am in good company. Everyone longs to be thin and fit and yet the number one health problem in America is obesity. Why? Because thin and fit takes time and we choose instant gratification of fast food and TV. We spend money instead of save, yell at our children for petty offenses, curse traffic, check our phones a dozen times in the grocery line, and blow our top on complete strangers.
When 1 Corinthians 13 states that “love is patient,” I bow my head in humility.
When Jesus asks me to be patient, does he even know what he is talking about?! Does he know how hard that is?!
Oh, he does. Jesus lived his life knowing the cross was coming. He was a man of sorrows that suffered every day of his life and HE IS GOD! He could have, rightfully, thrown in the towel at any point and gone home to heaven. He stood in the desert just before the point of starvation (that is waaay past hangry) and was patient even with Satan while he was tempted. He could have blown him to smithereens with just a thought and yet he was patient enough to stand before him and endure the arrogance of Satan himself, patiently awaiting a victory that isn’t really what I would have had in mind – the cross. Jesus sat at the Passover meal with his disciples explaining to them that he was about to die a torturous death and they quarreled over who would be the greatest among them in the kingdom of heaven.
Yes! I guess when the Bible commands me to be patient, Jesus knows what that means. God, I need you! I love. I want to love better. Please give me patient love that comes only from you!
Beautiful Life with Cancer 
Oh yeah tell me about patience it is not easy at all.
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Oh friend! So so hard for me! Oh Jesus! That is a hard thing to pray for patience but I am willing to do hard to have that virtue! Make me patient!
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It really comes into focus when you say it like that: “Jesus lived his life knowing the cross was coming. […] Jesus sat at the Passover meal with his disciples explaining to them that he was about to die a torturous death and they quarreled over who would be the greatest among them in the kingdom of heaven.” Considering how little the disciples understood his true mission, one can imagine he also had loneliness to compound the dread of his fate… yet he stayed on course nonetheless. Such quiet, accepting, patient heroism is actually the perfect example to change the world (Whereas a world full of the classic type of “hero” – aggressive, egotistical, ambitious, rather like Samson without any aspect of faith to redeem them – would be as bad as where we are now, or worse).
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Agreed 👍
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All I can say is, Amen!
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That’s a good thing to say 😊
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AMEN! Bless your heart fur sharing this!🌹
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I’m really enjoying your beautiful posts! Keep it up!
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Thank you! 😊
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As Christians I sometimes wonder how caught up we get with the idea of love that we forget what it actually means to DO love. Considering others is extremely important, but is step 2. It will come naturally as we take the time to consider what Christ ACTUALLY said and what he ACTUALLY did… And as we scrape and bruise on our way to learning how to put his example into action. Hard stuff. Thanks for sharing!
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You are exactly right!
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