Love is Patient. Love is Kind. (God is Love part one)

I've been trying to see God as He really is lately.

We've all seen God wrongly, before salvation and after. God can be hard to comprehend, and sometimes we're just tired and don't want to go through all the steps involved with being able to really focus on God and see Him in the moment.

Whatever the reason, we can all see God wrong, and it can be hard to see Him right again after we've seen Him wrong for a while.

And thus this new blog series is born.

I've titled it "God is Love" because a) He is (1 Jn 4:16), and b) I'm going to go through 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, commonly known as the love chapter of the Bible, and apply the various attributes of love to God.

Without further ado, let's dig in to seeing God as He is, as Love.

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"Love is patient, love is kind." - 1 Corinthians 13:4

1 Cor. 13:4 starts us off with two things that love is, the rest of the section is devoted to things that love does or things that love isn't, but only patience and kindness are listed as things love is.

But, let's rephrase it. God is patient. God is kind.

I tend to forget that.

Because, when we see God from a place of fear we see a harsh and demanding God. He doesn't have time for our slow learning, He wants us to go about being perfect right now.

Patience and kindness don't exactly fit in that.

Because patience says it's okay if it takes a while. Patience isn't in a rush for us to get out act together, but patience works and waits with us. Patience is slow to anger; patience gives second chances. Patience is in it for the long run; patience has the ultimate goal in mind.

And, if God is patient than He's with me, to work and wait with me.

If God is patient then He's slow to anger, and quick to help me along.

If God is patient than He's in it for the long run, persevering because He's got the goal in mind.

And, God is patient. He's all these things and more, perfectly patient with us.

Let that sink in, that God isn't in a rush for us to be perfect, but He's happy to wait with us, and to help us do the waiting work.

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Love is kind.

Kindness walks with us. Kindness is gentle; kindness takes the time to know our struggles and to help us in the small ways and the big. Kindness wants to do good, and to do it with a gentle heart.

And, if God is kind, then He cares about my struggles.

If God is kind then He will help me along, in ways I see and ways I don't.

If God is kind than He's after ultimate good, even if it hurts now.

God's kindness, His real, unending kindness, is here, and it is now. He helps us along, and He forgives us when we fail.

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Patience and kindness. Gentle, but not without backbone. They work for good, and sometimes kindness toward us looks like letting us go through our own struggles, and not making them magically go away.

Sometimes we have trouble seeing God's patience and kindness, but that doesn't mean they're not there.

Remember today, that God is patient, He is kind. There is nothing that can change those things, they are firm, God's character does not change.

Remember that God is patient with you, and acts with kindness towards you, even when conviction comes. Even when life is hard. Even when the lies seem too loud to be ignored.

Because patience and kindness carry a lot of peace and grace with them, there is rest found in patience and kindness.

Remember today that God is. There is nothing that can change Him, and He is more than capable of changing us, and He will always change us for good.

God is Love. Love is patient, love is kind.

~Rebecca P.