Patience Is a Way of Treating People
Written for Bible Journey Plan. Our editorial standards.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 KJV
Patience is often needed while someone learns. A younger child asks the same question again. A classmate takes longer to understand the instructions. A grandparent needs help with a device you find easy to use.
Paul says charity is patient and kind. He was writing to believers who needed to stop using their gifts as reasons to feel important. The ability to do something well should become an opportunity to help, not a reason to look down on someone.
Explain one step at a time. Let the learner try instead of grabbing the task back immediately. Keep your voice respectful when you need to repeat yourself. Patience does not mean there are no limits on your time. It means the person receives kindness within those limits. Remember how much you have learned because somebody once slowed down long enough to teach you.
Bring the truth into your day
Paul's description reaches the moments when love becomes inconvenient. Patience is needed when someone learns slowly. Kindness is needed when a mistake interrupts your plans. Refusing pride matters when you could embarrass another person to make yourself look better. Practise one of these qualities in a real relationship today. Love is more than a warm opinion of someone; it changes the way you respond when your own preferences are challenged.
Keep the passage in context
Paul describes charity in a church troubled by pride and rivalry over spiritual gifts. The description applies to marriage, but its original concern includes the whole fellowship of believers.
Read further: 1 Corinthians 13 in the King James Bible.