Journey into Better

Relationship
Lesson 2
Patience
15 Ingredients that require love as their
foundation
 These ingredients are like the ones you use for
a cake—if one is left out, the cake is lacking.
 If we leave out one of these 15 ingredients our
relationship will be lacking.
 Built on a foundation of love these 15
characteristics are the building blocks to better
relationship.
 MEANING OF PATIENCE
Makroqumevw - greek
 to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart
 to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and
troubles
 to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others
– to be mild and slow in avenging
– to be long-suffering, slow to anger, slow to punish
– Taking a long time to boil
 Patience
 Developing patience requires divine help
because our natural tendency is to be impatient
with people.
 Proverbs 14:29 – A patient man has great
understanding but a quick tempered man
displays folly.
 To be patient, we must understand that we are
all different; we are each one of a kind.
 Cont. Patience
 We need patience with people because our
differences create misunderstandings.
God sees us differently then others. First Samuel
16:7b - The Lord does not look at the things
man looks at. Man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
I often fail to demonstrate patience because I can’t
see the heart of man therefore I look at only what
I see; which can be misleading.
Impatience results in a lack of love. Ephesians 4:2b
– Be patient, bearing with one another
 We must mature in patience
 Thereare four things we must do if we are to
mature, or grow in patience
– We must remember how patient God is with us
– We must be willing to forgive
– We must overlook the faults of others
– We must be willing to listen
 We must remember How patient God
is with us
 Patients puts up with a lot of things.
 I Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I
obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ
might shew forth all longsuffering, for a
pattern to them which should hereafter believe
on him to life everlasting.
 We must be willing to forgive
 Unwillingness to forgive is the greatest enemy of
patience. All of us are prone to lose our patience at
times, even with people we dearly love.
 Proverbs 19:11 - Smart people know how to hold
their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget.
 How many times should we forgive – seventy times
seven – how many times is that (490) or unlimited
 We must be willing to overlook each
other faults
 None of us are perfect, and we all have some weird
personality traits or idiosyncrasies that must be overlooked.
Also we all have bad days when we are not very likeable.
 Proverbs 12:16 - Fools have short fuses and explode all too
quickly; the prudent quietly shrug off insults.
 When someone annoys us or insults us, it is
only natural to retaliate, but this only hurts the
relationship.
 Proverbs 15:1 - A gentle response defuses
anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-
fire.
 We must be willing to listen
 Most of us have a real problem listening
because we would rather talk.
 We develop patience by practicing our
listening skills, but we also earn the right
to be heard by listening.
 People are not going to listen to us until
they have said all they want to say.
 The only way to understand a person is by
listening, especially if tension is involved.
 James 1:19
• Post this at all the intersections, dear
friends: Lead with your ears, follow up
with your tongue, and let anger straggle
along in the rear.
 Motivation for patience
 God never commands us to do
anything He doesn’t do Himself.
 2 Peter 3:9 God isn't late with his
promise as some measure lateness.
He is restraining himself on account
of you, holding back the End because
he doesn't want anyone lost. He's
giving everyone space and time to
change.
 Luke 23:34
– Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them;
they don't know what they're doing."