Love is Patient

Sometimes in life, we forget what are the important things.  We forget that God gave family, and friends; especially those who are the closest to us.  We often forget their worth and take them for granted.  We fail to see the good that they've done for us because we are too busy focusing on negative things or defending our position. 

Philippians 4:8 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

I have been realizing this more and more lately.  I easily get caught off guard when someone says something to me and I feel the need to defend my position.  When I really need to stop, think, and remember "love is patient."  When you love someone, you should not be easily angered with them; you need to be patient with them.  

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Do the people that you love anger you the most easily?  Love is sacrificing, and when you love someone, you put their needs before yours.  Even if they've hurt you or angered you, be patient with them because love is patient.

Proverbs 15:13 A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.

Think about how God's love is, even though we have sinned against Him, He's so patient with us, and He isn't easily angered.

1 Timothy 1:16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.

I challenge you to look at your relationship with others and examine your love for them.  Ask yourself if you love them unconditionally, or if you love them depending on circumstances and how they treat you.  Always remember this, God loves you even though you're a sinner, because Love is Patient.

Romans 5:8 But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.