Last week in What is Love? Baby Don't Hurt Me. - Part 1, we discovered that people (Americans especially) simply do not know what love is. This week, we're going to begin unfolding the answer to the question.
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance" (1 Cor 13:4-7, NLT).
That's a lot to swallow. Let's break it, break it down now.
Play the video below as you read on.
Love is patient and kind. Those are two words I wouldn't use to describe myself. I'm one of those go, go, go kind of guys. If time management were a cup, I'll take mine overfilled. Hold the ice. People who have gotten to know me in the last couple of years might not recognize that, because I've had to be so intentional about creating margin in my life. By nature, I am not...people in general are not especially patient or especially kind.
But there it is. Love is patient and kind.
When I interviewed my dad, he said his greatest regret as a father has been a lack of patience, so maybe it's hereditary....I don't know. I do know my dad is honestly one of the most patient guys I know. What does that say about the rest of us? What does that say about me? How far off am I really?
King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, once said, "Finishing is better than starting, patience is better than pride. Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool"(Ecc 7:8-9, NLT).
Man, I must make an idiot out of myself at an extraordinary clip. But, love is patient and kind.
Have you ever seen anyone suggest that the cure to impatience is going out and sitting in a traffic jam, or joining the longest line at the grocery store. I've heard this suggestion multiple times.
That makes sense to me. That's exactly what we need - a whole bunch of angry people stressing themselves out. Can you say road rage? Is bag line rage a real thing? If not, I suppose we just invented it. Seriously, next are you going to suggest to recovering alcoholics everywhere to chill out in bars? "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear you've been struggling with lust. Here's a gift subscription to Playboy to help you on your journey."
The best - the only solution to impatience and unkindness, with God's help, is to simply breathe. Just stop. There's really no other way around it. I don't care how much practice you put yourself through, or how many anger management classes you attend. There comes a moment in every situation when you have to decide to escalate or deescalate the tension. Our nature is to push it...to get the most charge out of that second when we lose control.
I'm telling you to withdraw in that moment. By withdrawing you are loving.
Do you have any stories about impatience to share? They could be funny, scary, educational....doesn't matter. Leave a comment to share it with the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment