How To Be Patient (part 3)

Make allowances for each other.

Everybody has bad days. We’re all flaky from time to time. My wife knows when I’m just a little bit touchy and she makes allowances for that. She realizes those are bad days, and she cuts me some slack. I do the same for her.  We both realize that the bad day or the period of edginess will end.  We find it helpful to just let the other know, “Hey I’m a little edgy today.”  Maybe we know why, maybe we don’t. Either way, it helps to make the same allowances for others that we sometimes need ourselves.  If you’re going to be more patient, you’ll need to give people a break from time to time.

The Bible says, “Be patient with each other, making allowances for each other’s faults, because of your love” (Ephesians 4:2 NLT). Sometimes the people you’re around are just having a bad day. Resist the urge to retaliate. Show your love by making allowances for their faults – and bad days.

Note: This series is an adaptation based on a recent newsletter article by Rick Warren.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I have. ~MK