Love is patient.
—1 Corinthians 13:4
In Paul’s inspired definition of love, the first ingredient is patience.
Three objects of patience come to mind:
Be patient with yourself. By the time you’re twenty-one, you are as tall as you will ever be. But no matter how many candles are on your cake, your spiritual growth isn’t finished. Be patient with yourself when you mess up. God isn’t done with you yet.
Be patient with others. Cultivate a disposition for seeing the best in everybody. You may discover a goldmine where you least expect it. “To be patient shows intelligence; to overlook faults is a man’s glory” (Prv 19:11)
Be patient with God. You want immediate answers to your prayers—but it is God who controls the timing of delivery. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Ps 37:7).
Delay does not mean denial.