Love Never Fails: Love is Patient

The dictionary defines patience as “tolerating delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.” Wow, that can be challenging! I Corinthians 13:4(KJV) says, “Love suffers long(is patient) and is kind.” It takes a lot of intentionality to be a patient person. When our spouse does not move as quickly or does something we must remind them about, it can test our patience.

One of the great things about marriage is that it helps you become more refined in your character development. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit and comes from walking in the Spirit. When challenged to be patient with our spouse, they help us to grow into a more Christ-like character. You can ask God to help you to be aware of your impatience and to strengthen you in that area.

Patience is a character virtue that one develops over time. When you are patient with your spouse, your attention is not on your own but on their needs. You understand the other person is experiencing some problem, and you care more about their needs getting met than your needs at that moment. Being patient is not being selfish because love is not selfish. Love is patient.

Waiting on or tolerating your spouse without being annoyed is significant. When you put yourself in your spouse’s shoes, you can see things from their perspective. Understanding the problem from their perspective gives you compassion and patience to allow them to grow through their challenges. When you allow your spouse to grow and mature, their character develops, and issues are easier to manage. The marriage wins as a result of a spouse being patient and kind.

The tool of WE is the tool we use to help couples understand that when the marriage wins, they both (individually) win. The team no longer looks at the marriage from a “me” or “my” perspective but from a “we” or “our” perspective. By changing one letter from M(me) to W(we), you can change the satisfaction of your marriage.

Life application:

Discuss with your spouse ways you can be more patient in your relationship. Talking to each other about issues is the only way to discover what your spouse thinks and feels. Listening to your spouse opens doors for understanding and solving problems in your relationship.

Want to know more about how to have a Rockin Christian Marriage? See our online programs at www.coachustoday.com. We offer Christian relationship coaching. Explore music by Celeste on the site. Follow us on Facebook (Christian Relationship Coaching).