1 Corinthians 13:4a
Love is patient.
Loving someone into the kingdom of God takes times. Look at how stubborn and ignorant some of us were before we came not only to the cross and into the garden, but out of the garden and into our homes and straight to our friends to tell the good news.
That's why it's called longsuffering. Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer." We hope. We are patient. We persist in prayer. For as long as it takes.
Colossians 3:13 "Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as The Lord forgave you." Forgiveness is paramount when it comes to being a longsuffering servant of God. When we can forgive each other in the body of Christ, we are able to forgive those who are not yet in this body. Bitterness, jealousy, envy and anger have no place in the heart, the mind and the soul of the believer.
So let us begin our day with patience with each other. Even if someone cuts us off in traffic, or deliberately pulls in behind us when we are trying to leave a parking spot, let us respond with love. If someone we love keeps jerking our chain, that chain needs to go! for we are not to be bound by anything except the love of God. We need to respond with the love of God and keep our 'cool'.
Let us go forth and conquer the day.
Love is Kind.
Love is more than just being nice to someone. It moves beyond the surface of interactions we undertake and goes deep into the heart of the situation.
Kindness is a fruit of The Spirit. Therefore, not just anyone can have the evidence of kindness within them unless they first are saved by the blood of Christ and second, are baptized with God's Holy Spirit.
Kindness is the love of God in action, meeting people where they are. To be kind is to reach out in love to comfort, aid, and speak hope into their lives, drawing them with cords of love into the arms of God through Christ Jesus, Who lives and loves within us and through us.
Kind hearts speak The Truth of God's Word, delivering both hope and destruction to the hearers of The Word. Hope of salvation for the believers is countered by destruction to the refusers, the unbelievers, of God's salvation. It would be unkind to not share the warnings God has given to the hearers of His Word.
Eventually everyone will have heard the gospel. And then Jesus will return "in the twinkling of an eye" and gather the church into His arms, bringing her into the place He has prepared for her [1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; John 14:1-3]. This is the hope for the church, for the believers of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.
This is not everyone's destination, however, for not all will go to heaven when they die, nor will all be caught up when Christ returns for His bride. This part, too, is being kind, for it is unwise to deliver only what the hearer wants to hear, but not the bad news. And dying in unbelief is certainly bad news.
The times are getting shorter. Urgent prayer is needed to "pull the lost from the gates of hell" [Jude 22-23]. Strengthen our missionaries with your prayers. Build up our ministers, teachers, evangelists and congregations with your prayers. Encourage each other to prayer.
And be kind. Let that fruit flower and be even more fruitful in our lives.
