Daily Devotional
February 12: Patient Love
- Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-4 – … walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
- Reflection: Explore the role of patience in love. This often begins with acceptance of current circumstances, and focusing on the only aspect of any situation that you can control: your own response. Breathe. Count. Regulate your emotions. Slow things down. Practice whatever allows you to remain calm and present. Allow this approach to guide your engagement in any interactions, especially where stress is likely to occur. Such gentleness and compassion is an aspect of love.
- Spiritual Practice Prompt: Choose a situation that tests your patience and commit to responding with love. And patience.
SONG
- Wait for You by Elliott Yamin: https://youtu.be/xaHyvAMLk7U?si=h0JNq1be-W9b4EO0
TEN TIPS for Cultivating Patience During Uncertain Times – AAFP: https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/2020/0700/p43.html
1. Reflect on your experience when you feel impatient. Mindful awareness of our impatient experience is the first step to patience.
- What emotions manifest? You might feel irritability, frustration, fear, anxiety, or sadness.
- What behaviors manifest? Perhaps you find yourself distancing (physically or emotionally) or isolating, having angry outbursts, acting impulsively, demanding, nagging, or overreacting in relationships. You might be losing motivation on projects, or increasing substance use.
- How has your thinking changed? Are you jumping quickly to conclusions, being forgetful, catastrophizing, or having difficulty concentrating?
- How do you feel impatience in your body? You might be experiencing headaches, tension, stomach distress, muscle aches, worsened chronic pain, increased blood pressure/heart rate, or sweaty palms.
2. Reflect on your personal triggers. What do you know sparks frustration and reactivity in you? How can you choose to respond differently?
3. Practice gentleness and compassion. Everyone is under stress. … Consider that everyone is truly doing their best — including you.
4. Focus on what you can control. If possible, take some small action.
5. Focus on the good. When feeling disillusioned about your losses, call to mind the good that is here now, including new opportunities and what you can be grateful for.
6. Pick an absorbing project and immerse yourself in it. Some options include gardening, doing a jigsaw puzzle, cooking homemade meals, or even playing video games…
7. Regularly practice an activity that improves your body or mind. Examples include exercise, yoga, mindfulness exercises, or meditation.
8. Maintain hope…
9. Reconnect with your purpose … Cultivating a purpose bigger than ourselves can help motivate us for the hard work of being patient because it answers the question of why we are waiting or suffering…
10. Take a deep breath … and repeat, repeat, repeat.