Pass Me Some Patience, Please

Passage:
Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.

Point:
I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to having patience I fail much more than I succeed. Often times, my expectations of people and situations are way too high and when they aren’t met, my irritability comes crashing through. This happens quite a bit in my marriage. I expect my husband to be someone he isn’t – almost to the point of perfection and when he doesn’t live up, I tend to let him have it.

Let’s face it – I cannot expect my husband to live up to high expectations no more than I can expect my dog to quit digging up the yard despite a huge mole infestation. It just isn’t going to happen. So what’s a lady to do?

I have to learn that my flying off the handle is never going to be a good thing. I can never bring glory to God by losing patience. I need to get a grip, let my emotions chill, and think before I react or say something I may regret. I’m sure this will take much prayer and effort on my part, but I’m willing.

Ponder:
How many arguments could we avoid by practicing patience right from the get-go?

Poem:
O God in all Your mercy
O God in all Your might
Grant me the ability
To keep my lips shut tight

In the eye of struggles
Your patience I will need
To stay calm and collected
This Lord, I do plead

What's Love Got To Do With It?

As I begin my journey, it didn’t take long to realize which path I should be heading. My marriage has been on the rocks for several years now. No matter how hard I’ve tried, I just couldn’t seem to make it work. This was B.C. of course (before Christ). Now that I see that I can do nothing without God, things are much different.

I started looking to Scripture for help. I didn’t have to read too far before stumbling across 1Corinthians 13:4-7

"Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Here I’ve been so quick to place the blame on my husband for why our marriage was heading to the dumpster when, right there in black and white, was a huge part of the problem. I hadn’t been holding up my end of the bargain; I hadn’t even come close! Reading these words stung with such a force that I knew I had to do something. I wanted to be a more loving person. I wanted to love like these verses talked about, but how?

I’ve decided to spend the next couple of weeks studying these traits. I want to learn more about them in order to apply them to my own life. I’ll begin with patience (which is something I seriously struggle with) and work my way through the list. My goal is to become a more loving wife, mother, and person in general.