Patience

Patience

"If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." -1 Corinthians 12:26

I was mindful of this verse this past weekend when I spent two days climbing a ladder to paint my house. After hours of climbing and descending and stretching under eaves to apply fresh coats of paint, I'm not sure I was fully prepared for the stiffness and soreness in my legs that was to come. For the following several days, it was all I could do to concentrate on other tasks because of the painful twinges in the muscles in my legs. Interesting how painful relationships have a similar effect. We've all had relationships strained by disagreement and circumstances, and no matter how hard we seem to try, whenever we are around those people, all our minds can think about is the pain of those strained relations. Paul speaks the truth in 1 Corinthians 12:26, that "if one part suffers, every part suffers." Is it a wonder that just four verses later, 1 Corinthians 13 begins...truly, one of the greatest definitions of love to be found in any literature: "Love is patient, love is kind, it is not proud, it does not dishonor others..." Friends, how would our relationships with others change if we were mindful to remember that, when one part suffers, every part suffers? And when one part is honored, every part rejoices. Since love is patient, as the old song says, "Why not put a little love in your heart?" You may be surprised how quickly your relationships change for the better!       *                       *                      *    PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for patience! Thank You for Your love that gives me the ability to love...anyway! No matter what comes my way or what circumstances confound me, Your love gives me the ability to love others. Thank You, Lord! In Jesus' name, Amen Who could you love more today?