A Prayer to Be Patient with Your Progress - Your Daily Prayer - September 14

A Prayer to Be Patient with Your Progress
By Lia Girard

Bible Reading
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. — 1 Corinthians 13:4

Listen or Read Below

Although every word of Scripture is God-breathed and equally remarkable for that reason, I can honestly say I'm “in love” with 1 Corinthians 13.  Famously termed the “Love Chapter,” or sometimes the “Hymn of Love,” it's a reservoir of wisdom and insight on what love does. Many biblical scholars consider it the apostle Paul’s most lyrical literary masterpiece. It's a living, still-relevant portrait of pure love.

Even better, every single time you see the word “love” in this chapter, it’s translated from the original word “agape.” This kind of love is the highest and most unconditional type of love that doesn’t require any relation, condition, or achievement. It’s also a conscious choice that implies no guaranteed reciprocity. It’s the term for the love God has for his creation—including you.

This “love chapter” is aptly divided into three parts (a number biblically associated with the nature of God) and ends with a final verse proclaiming “the greatest of these is love.” The first part of 1 Corinthians 13 describes the vital importance of love. The second shows the effect and nature of love. And the third covers the eternality of love. It’s also written in such a way as to be powerful in its simplicity, accessibility, and rhythm.

Of course, it’s often used at weddings to honor the love you give away to another. But it’s also intended to encourage self-compassion. When 1 Corinthians 13:4 says that love is patient, it doesn’t only mean with your spouse, children, friends, neighbors, strangers, or coworkers. It also means giving yourself grace and permission to be exactly where and who you are. To be patient with your own growth and progress.

This goes hand in hand with offering yourself kindness. You can do this by refraining from harsh self-criticism or thinking your current status is not enough. You are the one who can give yourself the agape love you need to nurture your mental and physical well-being.

This kind of healthy self-love also does not envy. Which means that negatively comparing your own pace or achievements with others’ is not loving. Agape love allows you to live the life most suited to you, because you’re uniquely designed and loved by God. Being patient with your own progress can lower the compassionless anxiety that tends to creep in when you’re tempted to compare.

The balance of 1 Corinthians 13:4 affirms that love doesn’t boast and isn’t proud. Here’s an opportunity to pause. Ask yourself if you’re being impatient with your progress because you want others’ recognition and applause, or if you want to feel a prideful superiority over others. Does the impatience stem from a need to boast or rise above others? Or can you instead choose to be patient with all you’ve endured, changed, overcome, offered, discovered, and explored thus far . . . whether or not your journey has been slower, faster, or less visible than others?

You’re invited to consider 1 Corinthians 13:4, and the whole chapter, as a love letter from God to you. Savor it as a reminder or meditation that you can say to yourself. Because as you learn and foster the qualities of self-compassion, you find in 1 Corinthians 13:4, you get better at giving this gift called love to others.

Let’s Pray

God, I catch myself trying to do so many things at once that I start to behave in ways that are less than loving ... to myself, and as a result, to others. Please pull me back into your agape love. Teach me, through your love chapter, how to see myself as enough. How to believe that I am unconditionally lovable.

I pray today for you to wash me of the pressure and anxiety I cause myself by feeling like I should be more accomplished or further along in comparison to others.

Speak to me: that this life of mine is yours, and that you love me right here and now. Please fill me with self-compassion so that I can practice the kind of love that reflects You to others. Thank you for loving me ... just as I am.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional spoke to you on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Lia Girard is a seasoned writer, poet, and voice artist who formerly served as Faith Editor for Crosswalk.com. She currently co-hosts the Your Daily Prayer podcast on LifeAudio, and shares her peaceful, reflective poetry inspired by the wonders of nature on Instagram @wildpeace.poetry. Lia enjoys life with her husband and grown children, and walking in the woods with God.

Related Resource: Sheila Walsh: The Cost of Pretending You’re Okay - Buried Emotions, Depression, Mental Health & the Courage to Heal

In this powerful conversation, bestselling author and beloved speaker Sheila Walsh opens up about the hidden cost of pretending you’re okay. She and Zach explore why what we refuse to feel can eventually overwhelm us, why vulnerability is not weakness, and how healing often begins when we finally tell the truth about what’s happening inside. If you’ve ever felt pressure to hold it all together while quietly falling apart, this conversation reminds you that you don’t have to pretend, and you don’t have to heal alone. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow The Built Different Podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube so you never miss an episode!