Love is Patient

Have you ever known someone who seems to make progress in a certain area of their life, only to fall back into old habits?

A friend of mine named Ben was going through a tough season in His life. Ben had some bad habits that caused a lot of pain for those he loved. Then, he began to make progress… he started making better choices, only to eventually fall back into his old ways again.

This pattern happens often with people, and as a friend or family member, it can be a difficult thing to watch. We want the best for those we love, and when we see people making poor choices, our first instinct can be to harshly call them out… but the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that “love is patient and kind”.

So, since we are called to love others, we are called to practice patience and kindness towards them. Not always easy! But patience is a fruit of God’s Spirit living in us.

I encourage you to practice patience towards someone in your life. Perhaps you have a friend or family member who is making poor choices. How might you treat them differently if you were filled with patience and kindness?

Chances are, this person might realize that there’s something different about the way you are treating them. And this might open up an opportunity to talk to them about Jesus.

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“Since we are called to love others, we are called to practice patience and kindness towards them.”

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1 Corinthians 13:4

“Love is patient and kind.”