Patience part 2
Patience is a virtue. Because love is patient. But... because love is patient, and we ARE love (because we are loved), that means we don't have to "get" patience. That means we have it. We ARE it. The key is to be who we are. To use what we have. To know and believe that we have it instead of letting anything (or anyone) else convince us that we don't have it. And, listen, that doesn't mean you won't ever have a day where everything gets on your last nerve. That doesn't mean you won't ever be impatient. It's a maturation PROCESS. We are, in a sense, becoming who we are as we learn who we are. And we learn who we are by learning who God is. Because... as He is, so are we in this world. Jesus is our true identity. Who we really are is who we are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in us. And let me say this, while we're talking about patience: Jesus, who IS love, who IS patience, still flipped some tables over in the temple when people were doing stuff they shouldn't have been doing. Meekness is not weakness. It is strength under control. Turning the other cheek doesn't mean you stand there and let people keep slapping you. It means you don't retaliate. It means what the NLT says in Romans 12:18, "Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone." For me, who finds it very easy to mind my own business, those are words to absolutely live by. The other day at work my boss called me over, but by the time I got there he said, "Never mind." And I said, "No problem. That's what I do best." And He said, "What you do best is... never minding?" Yessir! If it's not for me then it's not for me. No problem and no worries. I can let people do what they do, while I do what I do. Of course, it's when those two things connect, or collide, that patience comes into the picture. When you're doing all that you can to live in peace with everyone... you also have to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything. Not everything is ok. Not everything should be accepted or tolerated. And, again, I'm not saying you need to retaliate. I'm not saying it's your job to change people. It isn't. It's the Holy Spirit's job to convict people. It's your job to love them. Period. Sometimes that means you need to love them from a distance, and that's all you can do. Sometimes the least you can do is the most you can do. And you have to be ok with that. Be patient with people. Trust the process. Let them learn and grow even as you had to learn and grow. Now, again, sometimes you have to do that from a distance. If someone is having a bad day... they might need you there with them. OR they might need some space. That comes from knowing the person. Building a relationship with them so you can love them the way THEY need to be loved. Guys: Love is not about you. It's about giving what you've got. Love is never about getting, because love IS giving. God so loved the world He GAVE, right? So patience, which is love, is about giving. Giving people what they need. Letting people be who they are without getting exasperated or angry with them. Giving people space to learn and grow. To make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. Love is patient, because love doesn't require or expect anything from anybody. Love is not concerned with changing people, or getting anything from anyone. Love is simply trying to help people. That's why I always say the simplest way to love someone is to see and need and meet it. Give them what THEY need. And be patient. Especially if they don't know what they need, or aren't ready to receive what they need. Love never fails because love endures. And sometimes that's all you can do!