Love is Patient - (Day Eight)

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Throughout the next few blog posts we will be diving in and taking a closer look at what has become known as the "love" chapter in the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 13 we can clearly see God's demonstration of love and how it is to be lived out. Like previously mentioned, love is an action and not an emotion.

"Love suffers long..."

Longsuffering (patience) reveals our faith in God's timing, omnipotence, and love. It doesn't lose it's temper easily. If we have God's love in us we will be longsuffering with the people in our lives who hurt and annoy us.

With the holidays just around the corner, maybe you will be faced with that one family member who is constantly nagging, gripping, and is hard to please. Sometimes you feel as though you can't do anything right and you're met with opposition despite your best efforts. This word Paul is referring to is one that calls us to have patience with people rather than with circumstances.

In his commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:4, Matthew Henry says of the term longsuffering: "It can endure evil, injury, and provocation, without being filled with resentment, indignation, or revenge. It makes the mind firm, gives it power over the angry passions, and furnishes it with a persevering patience, that shall rather wait and wish for the reformation of a brother than fly out in resentment of his conduct. It will put up with many slights and neglects from the person it loves, and wait long to see the kindly effects of such patience on him."

It is to no surprise that one of the attributes used to describe the Lord is longsuffering (Exodus 34:6, Numbers 14:8, Psalm 86:15, and 2 Peter 3:9). The more we mature and grow in our walk with God, the more we are able to share his heart for others and patiently LOVE them regardless of their shortcomings...for we have faults as well.

Longsuffering...it's a kind of love that survives and stand the test of time.

Love,
Ashley

...Just wait

We live in a day and age when everything is at our fingertips, fast paced, and on demand. The idea of standing in a check-out line for more than 10 minutes can have some individuals frustrated, angry, and spewing out words their mamas wouldn't be proud of. Unfortunately, this thought process has caused our culture to become quite uncomfortable with the idea of waiting. It tries every ounce of our patience...and we can't stand it.


Throughout our lifetime we are faced with many opportunities to grasp new lessons the Lord is trying to teach us while we are in a season of waiting. Recently, I've had conversations with several friends about the idea of waiting when it comes to a spouse. As each of us continues to grow older with every passing year, the circle of friends in our single stage of life has dwindled down to a few remnants - leaving some of them tired, impatient, and frankly "over it".


Our world views singleness as a bad thing. It's almost as if there is this invisible time clock that abruptly goes off once an individual reaches a certain age and they aren't married or in a dating relationship.  It's as if to say "you'd better hurry up, time's running out!"  Many of us have had friends and/or family concerned that we haven't found the "one" or that we aren't looking hard enough. But who are they and who are we to say when someone should be married or if at all?  Being single doesn't define you. We serve the Author of time and if it is His will, it will happen...in HIS timing.


"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him..." Psalm 37:7a


Sometimes you may feel like your prayers are falling on deaf ears. Often we try to take control of the situation, whether it be through compromising, settling for less than God's best, etc, for it is our fleshly response to the silence. Patience (also called long suffering) is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5).  Since we cannot do this in our own power, we need to ask for help from the Holy Spirit. Our strength is found in Him and through Him we will learn to persevere through any circumstance.


There is purpose through the process. We can use times of waiting to grow and mature in our relationship with the Lord. Waiting on God forces us to look to Christ. He desires to prepare you (Hebrews 13:20,21), to teach you to stay on your knees (1 Peter 5:6.7), and provide you receive HIS best (Ephesians 3:20). Waiting builds character.


How can we become the women God wants us to be if we don't take the time to sit, grow, and invest in our first love?  Only He can truly satisfy the longings of our heart and fill that area in our life.  When we begin to compare our lives to the lives of those around us, we can easily allow bitterness, jealousy, and anger to fester within. These are not godly attributes and will only draw us away from the Lord and the work He is doing in our hearts.


Allow this season of singleness to draw you closer to Him as He speaks so tenderly to you, while you actively wait on Him.

"Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; 

Wait, I say, on the Lord!" 

Psalm 27:14

Wait for God's best. Don't compromise! Don't settle!

...Just wait

With love,
Ashley