Everyday Life and Happiness

DAY 1 ~ LOVE IS PATIENT

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,
bearing with one another in love. —Ephesians 4:2 NIV

Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is.  Those pillars are patience and kindness. All other characteristics of love are extensions of these two attributes.  And that’s where our dare will begin. 

With patience.

Patience is a tough one for me – especially with my husband and kids!  My fuse is very short and I am quick to get anger.

What this lesson teaches is that anger almost never solves any problem – in fact, it typically makes the problem worse.  Also – no one wants to be around an impatient person.  It is miserable!

Anger is usually caused when the strong desire for something is mixed with disappointment or grief. 

You don’t get what you want and you start heating up inside.  It is often an emotional reaction that flows out of our own selfishness, foolishness, or evil motives.

Anger is like a quick spreading poison.  Each time you lash out at your spouse in anger you are being the disease and not the cure.

Answer these questions honestly:

• If your spouse offends you, do you quickly retaliate, or do you stay under control?
• Do you find that anger is your emotional default when treated unfairly?
• Are you quick to snap at your spouse if they make a mistake?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you are HUMAN. 

Patience isn’t something we are born with…it is something we work towards.

What would your home be like if you could be patient?  Visualize yourself being patient…seeing situations come up that create feelings of anger.  Feel them, acknowledge them and let them go.  See yourself being completely patient with your spouse.

What a different experience this is – isn’t it?

This Love Dare journey is a process, and the first thing you must resolve to possess is patience. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. But it’s a race worth running.

Today’s Dare

The first part of this dare is fairly
simple. Although love is communicated
in a number of ways, our words often
reflect the condition of our heart. For
the next day, resolve to demonstrate
patience and to say nothing negative
to your spouse at all. If the temptation
arises, choose not to say anything. It’s
better to hold your tongue than to say
something you’ll regret.

So in the good words of our favorite bunny Thumper…

If you don’t have anything nice to say…don’t say anything at all.

This takes a LOT of patience!!!

I would love to hear how you did on your first day!  What did you choose to stop yourself from reacting to?  Did your spouse notice you holding your tounge?  How did it make you feel today to practice patience?