February 10, 2022
Thursday
What Does Love Do? Love Waits!
1 Thessalonians 5:14
"Charity suffereth long…”
Most adults are generally patient with infants or people with physical or mental limitations. That is, people who “just can’t help it.” And we should be. Patience is a godly virtue that the more capable can reasonably be expected to exercise toward the less capable.
But those folks make up a small minority of the people in our lives. Most of the people in our lives are just like us—relatively fit and capable. And it is those people with whom we find ourselves being impatient. We think, “They should know better; they’re taking advantage of our good nature”—all of which could be true. But instead of justifying our impatience, we should follow the apostle Paul’s words: “Be patient with all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). He mentions three kinds of people before that exhortation: the unruly, the fainthearted, and the weak. Then he sums up by essentially saying, “be patient with all”—the old, young, fit, disabled, responsible, irresponsible. Patience is required toward all.
Think of those in your life who consistently try your patience. Ask God for the fruit of His Spirit of love to be manifested in patience toward all.
A point to ponder…
God’s love for poor sinners is very wonderful, but God’s patience with ill-natured saints is a deeper mystery.
Henry Drummond
Read the Bible through in a year
I love you!!!
© 2000-2022 B. Michael Goerlich