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哥林多前书：13:4-7: 4爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈；爱是不嫉妒，爱是不自夸，不张狂，5不作害羞的事，不求自己的益处，不轻易发怒，不计算人的恶，6不喜欢不义，只喜欢真理； 7凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。          

对于这段经文，我实在无法一下子思想这么多内容，所以我打算每次思想一点。“爱是恒久忍耐。”“恒久忍耐”这个词的希腊文的定义是，“面对挑衅或不幸，没有抱怨或愤怒的情绪平静状态。”字面上的意思是“长久受苦，”这也是英文钦定版的译法。它的意思是我们愿意忍受很长一段时间，因为我们等着什么事情发生或等着什么人做出改变。恒久忍耐的人不会让一点小小的刺激点燃导火索，把事情搞砸。我很多次都因为急躁而破坏了美好气氛！但我开心的是每当遭遇这样的时刻，我都能得到上帝和我太太的饶恕。       

恒久忍耐就是爱，因为它优先考虑别人，而不是自己。恒久忍耐是即使孩子的书法不好看也会很高兴，而不是每次都贸然指出他写的不好。忍耐是留在桌边和大家谈话，而不是急着起身去看新闻。忍耐是看见你弟兄悔改生活的每一个微小的进步，而不是期待一夜之间发生完全的改变。忍耐是忽略那些让我们感到不快的事情，而不是一定要将它们指出来。            

当然，忍耐的最完美的例子就是耶稣。他有足够的耐心和小孩子们玩耍；他有足够的耐心容忍他的门徒，这些门徒不能正确理解神的国是什么意思。他有足够的耐心对待你和我，宽恕我们，激励我们，一天天地改变我们。  

祷告：主耶稣，无论我的生命中遭遇什么样的处境和什么样的人，都请你赐给我耐心。请提醒我们每件事并不是越早越快就越好，和身边的人一起欢喜快乐更重要。请教导我，人的改变很少在一夜之间发生，是需要时间的。但最重要的是，谢谢你对我恒久忍耐。阿们。

1 Corinthians 13: 4 Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy. It does not brag. It is not arrogant. 5 It does not behave indecently. It is not selfish. It is not irritable. It does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 It does not rejoice over unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  (EHV)

I can’t just meditate on all of this at once, so I am going to take it one small bit at a time. “Love is patient.” Here is a definition of the Greek word. “A state of emotional calm in the face of provocation or misfortune and without complaint or irritation.” Literally it means “long suffering,” which is how the King James translation translated this word. It means that we are willing to suffer a long time as we wait for something to happen or someone to change. The patient person refuses to let a little irritation light the fuse and blow up the moment.  I wish I had a nickel for every time I ruined the moment by my impatience!  And I am glad I have forgiveness, both from God and from my spouse, for every one of those moments.

Patience is loving because it considers you before me.  It’s the difference between “I don’t want to be late,” and, “I don’t want you to be rushed.”  Patience is rejoicing in your child’s scrawling letters instead of pointing out all the times he went below the line. Patience is lingering at the table for a conversation instead of jumping up to catch the news. Patience is seeing the small progress of repentance in your brother’s life instead of expecting a complete reformation overnight. Patience is ignoring those things that irritate us rather than always pointing them out.

The perfect example of patience, of course, is Jesus. He was patient enough to play with the little children. He was patient enough to put up with disciples who hadn’t figured out the kingdom. And he is patient with me and with you, forgiving us, encouraging us, and changing us one day at a time.  

Prayer:   Lord Jesus, give me patience in all the circumstances and with all the people in my life. Remind me that being early for everything is not as important as rejoicing with the people at my side. Teach me that changes rarely happen over night, but take time. But more than all, thank you for being patient with me. Amen.