Love is... Patient
In recent times, patience has taken a back seat to instant results. One of my favorite snacks is instant cup ramen. Credit cards have made buying large items instantaneous. Videos and photos can be shared instantly to family and friends. Gone are the days of having to wait for the specific hour of the day that the news came on. Just pull out your phone or tablet to see the news right now instead. Microwaves and instant pots, fast food places and pay-at-the-pump gas stops, online banking and electronic document signing, everything has been sped up to the convenience of instantaneous access. There's nothing wrong with that, I think. The modern conveniences facilitate much good in our lives. However, it's important to recognize that in the Bible, patience--rather than quick results--is one of the Christian virtues.
1 Corinthians 13 reminds us:
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
The very first iteration of love is patience. A young man in love with his new wife will gladly wait for her to try on all her outfits until she finds the right one. It's not that he isn't aware of time, but timeliness is less important that his timeless love and patience for his beloved. Unfortunately, patience is also one of the first things to wear down in a relationship. I'll spare you any examples on that one.
Patience in the bible is everywhere. Much like the breakneck pace of our world today, the ancient world of scripture was in a constant patience. Clothes were made by hand, often taking weeks to make. Food preparation was often an all-day affair. Field and farm workers had to rely on slaves or animals to plow fields only one or a few rows at a time. Christ's ministry had to wait 30 years before he was anointed by the Holy Ghost. The disciples had to wait fifty days for the outpouring of the former rain. Christians have been waiting for millennia for Christ to come back. Patience is the very fabric of Scripture.
A closer look at the Greek word the translators interpreted as patience in chapter 13 reveals a small detail that you may want to know about. The word in the source text is 'makrothymeō' and it refers specifically to patience in the matter of being "even-tempered while enduring trying circumstances" (Brannan, Rick, editor. Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, Lexham Press, 2020.).
Remember the parable of the servant that owed lots of money? Matthew 18:26 features this Greek word in the plea of the servant.
So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have |makrothymeō| with me, and I will pay you everything.’
I think we do well to take time in our busy lives to practice patience. Often we wait until patience forces its way into our schedule through some unfortune. A car breaking down can really make patient waiting feel like a curse. A toddler that wants to buckle their own car seat can really force patience onto a tense situation - especially if you're running late. (If you know you know). Find time to be patient. Choose the longer path. Pick the slower solution. Wait in silence before you finish your prayers. Love is patient. Is it any wonder why our world is so full of hate? Even in our churches, love doesn't always flow like it should. The problem isn't the convenience of instant gratification. The problem is we've stopped valuing a patient attitude.
No one should be more patient than you, the Christian. If we will be known by our love, we must learn to be... patient.