Day 1: Love is Patient

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

Day 1 is all about Patience; which cracks me up since this is my New Year's Resolution. Here are some of the points that I thought were really valuable from the chapter:

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 your dare will begin.

Love will inspire you to become a patient person. When you CHOOSE to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger.

Anger almost never makes things better. In fact, it usually generates additional problems. But patience stops problems in their tracks. More than biting your lip, more than clapping a hand over your mouth, patience is a deep breath. It clears the air. It stops foolishness from whipping its scorpion tail all over the room. It is a CHOICE to control your emotion rather than allowing your emotion to control you, and shows discretion instead of returning evil for evil.

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly

Proverbs 14:29

A hot tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger calms a dispute

Proverbs 15:18

See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another

1 Thessalonians 5:15

Everyone must be quick to hear, low to speak and slow to anger

James 1:19

Patience is where love meets wisdom! And every marriage needs that combination to stay healthy.

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.