Love Is Patient - 1 COR. 13:4
1 Cor. 13:4.

A. We are conditioned by our culture to want quick solutions to problems — but most of life’s
significant challenges involve difficult, complex problems that take time and effort to solve, if they
can be solved at all 1 Thess. 5:14.
Among the Lord’s people, as in the world, there is a great need for patience. Our word patience comes from the Latin pati (“to suffer, endure”) and means basically the capacity of calm endurance.
a. The patient person is capable of calm endurance in basically four areas. (1) Delay, The
patient person can wait (2) Difficulty, The patient person can persevere (3) Other
people’s shortcomings, The patient person is compassionate and gentle (4) Wrongs
suffered, The patient person is forbearing and forgiving.
(A) Patience can have to do with things, circumstances, or people — but the patience that
has to do with people is obviously the most important. The Bible says much about it.
(1) 1 Cor. 13:4, says, “Love suffers long and is kind.” The Greek makrothumeo
means to be long-tempered. 2 Pet. 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His
promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that
any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
(a) Longsuffering describes the man who is inconvenienced, slighted, etc. and
has it in his power to lash out, but chooses not to do so. Patience is not a
sign of weakness, but of strength under control. To be patient does not
mean being a “doormat.” It does not mean that we excuse, condone, or
“enable” the sins of others.
The patient person may respond to problems with strength and action, but his response is always chosen, careful and it is a controlled response. The
patient person responds with compassion, mercy, gentleness. He, does
not respond with anger, resentment, discouragement. Wisely balances
courage with consideration!
1 Cor. 13:5, says, “Love “is not provoked.” Love “never irritably loses its temper” “is not touchy” , “is not quick to take offence.”
Ninety percent of the world’s problems are due to someone using the wrong tone of voice. Irritability is a sin which betrays a lack of wisdom, love, and patience. Prov. 14:29, “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive shows he’s a fool.” Jas. 1:19-20, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
In the parable of the Seed and the Sower, Jesus describes how people get to heaven. He described people who are patient. Lk 8:15, “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”
(2) Impatience usually comes down to a problem of self-control. People who lash out in exasperation are out of control. Impatient people cannot restrain themselves. And you can spot them by their language. “Come on, get with it, I don’t have time to fool with you.” They don’t want to be inconvenienced by others. Can only be patient with people they think deserve patience. Unwilling to be patient with a person who inconveniences us, let alone forgive one who sins against us seventy times seven!

(1) That’s why impatience exposes an attitude of selfish, unloving, self-centered arrogance. Impatient people act that way because they think they are better than every body else. Attitude of, “How dare they inconvenience me, or challenge me, or think their ideas are better than mine.”
(1) That’s the very opposite of Christ’s example for us. It reveals the heart of one who is devoid of the fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22-23. That says Patience is part of what God commands you to be.
(2) Patience is a part of the fruit of the Spirit. We are commanded to deal with one another in a spirit of gentleness, Listen to it in Gal. 6:1-2, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
(2) Impatience is one of the manifestations of self?centeredness that we tend to ignore and yet it is one of the most Grievous sins because it can kill our souls without ever having know we were spiritually ill. It is a most serious matter.
(1) Jas. 3:13-18, warns us, “Wisdom that produces such things as impatience, unkindness, and intolerance comes from the devil.”
(2) Often, those who show the least patience with others are those who expect others to be the most patient with them. If there’s one thing we have no patience with, it’s people who don’t have enough patience with us! The ultimate consideration is that we ought to be patient with others because God has been patient with us.
(3) Hear Paul’s words in Rom. 2:4, “Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”.....“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection” Col. 3:12-14.
(1) In Lk. 21:19, Jesus said, “In your patience possess your souls.”
(2) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 05/19/2002 pm