“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV).
How patient are you? If you are like most people, patience is one of the fruits of the spirit that is a challenge. Sometimes it is very easy to love someone and be patient with them. But there are some people who can really try your patience. These people may be prickly people. You know who I mean. Those people who find the worst in every situation and are very negative. Maybe there are people around you who are always putting others down. These are prickly people. Have you every hugged a porcupine? It is kind of difficult isn’t it? But Jesus said that we are to love everyone. “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19 NIV). Patience to love even the prickly people in your life takes a lot of prayer. It is my experience that people who are hard to get along with have some issues in their lives that need fixed. They need a lot of love. So it is up to us to show them Christian love.
Jesus is the ultimate example of showing love and patience. People jostled him constantly needing to be healed and begging for a miracle. He never yelled at them, but showed them love and understanding. He even took under his wing his own betrayer, Judas. He never berated Judas as far as we know, and during the Last Supper he called him friend. “Friend, do what you came for” (Matthew 26:50 NIV). He knew that Judas was going to betray Him and He called him friend. That is love. Could you do that?
Who in your life needs love that is patient? Jesus is patient with us you know so we should be patient to others. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV). If God can be patient with us, we can show love and patience to everyone.
Dear Lord,
Help me to be patient when prickly people enter my life. Help me to show your love to them, to keep my temper in check, and make sure that the words I speak are words that you would speak to others.
In Jesus’ love,
Amen
