We live in an age that moves fast—too fast for the human heart to keep up. We expect instant results, instant connection, instant answers. We microwave our meals, stream our entertainment, and measure progress in likes and downloads. But God’s greatest work in us does not happen instantly. It unfolds slowly, deliberately, and lovingly. That’s why Paul began his list of charity’s attributes with this simple but stretching truth:
“Charity suffereth long.” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
That phrase--suffereth long—isn’t just about waiting. In the original Greek, makrothumeō means “to be long-spirited,” or “to endure with a steady soul.” It’s a patience that absorbs offense without retaliation, that holds peace when life puts pressure on.
Patience is the first description of charity because it’s the first test of love. It is how love behaves under strain.
The Savior’s Perfect Example: The Savior’s entire mortal life was a living sermon on patience. He waited thirty years before beginning His ministry. He waited for His disciples to grow in faith, even when they stumbled again and again. He waited for those He healed to fully understand who He was.
He even waited in the Garden of Gethsemane—alone, suffering, pleading—for the will of the Father to be done. And He waited through pain that most of us could not endure for a moment. Yet through it all, His love never wavered. His patience was not weakness—it was divine strength in motion.
When we lose our patience, we usually lose sight of two things: God’s timing and God’s love. The patient soul trusts both.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught:
“Patience is not passive resignation; it is active waiting upon the Lord. It is not merely enduring; it is enduring well!”
Patience, then, is not standing still—it’s standing faithful.
The Spiritual Power of Waiting: God often teaches us patience by withholding what we want right away. He delays answers to prayers so we can deepen our faith. He stretches our trials so we can expand our trust. He allows detours because He’s developing divine direction within us.
When we rush, we miss what patience reveals. Waiting is one of the Spirit’s most effective classrooms. It’s there we learn humility, empathy, endurance, and grace.
In Mosiah 23:21, we’re told, “The Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.”Notice how patience and faith grow together. Faith gives us the courage to wait; patience gives us the peace to do it without complaint.
Charity “suffereth long” because love that lasts is love that waits.
Learning to Wait With Love: Patience is rarely convenient. It’s tested in traffic, in trials, in parenting, in prayer. It’s tested when you’re doing everything right, but the blessings still seem delayed.
True patience doesn’t mean pretending the wait doesn’t hurt. It means holding hope anyway. It’s okay to feel weary, to wish things were easier. But patience is choosing to stay faithful when nothing changes—and to stay kind when others don’t.
President Henry B. Eyring once said,
“The test of our faith will be in the patience we show in tribulation.”
When we endure patiently, we’re not just waiting on God; we’re walking with Him.
💛 Live It This Week
A Closing Thought: The Lord’s patience with us is endless. He waits as we stumble, learn, and return. He doesn’t rush our growth; He rejoices in it. When we choose to mirror that patience toward others—and toward ourselves—we reflect His divine love.
Charity endures long because Christ endures long with us. And as we wait with Him, we become more like Him—steadfast, gentle, and full of grace.
“Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee” (D&C 24:8).
Discover how to live charity every day in The Essence of Charity. Step into the journey. Study, reflect, and most of all—live charity. And in doing so, you will not only become more Christlike—you will come to know Him.
“Charity suffereth long.” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
That phrase--suffereth long—isn’t just about waiting. In the original Greek, makrothumeō means “to be long-spirited,” or “to endure with a steady soul.” It’s a patience that absorbs offense without retaliation, that holds peace when life puts pressure on.
Patience is the first description of charity because it’s the first test of love. It is how love behaves under strain.
The Savior’s Perfect Example: The Savior’s entire mortal life was a living sermon on patience. He waited thirty years before beginning His ministry. He waited for His disciples to grow in faith, even when they stumbled again and again. He waited for those He healed to fully understand who He was.
He even waited in the Garden of Gethsemane—alone, suffering, pleading—for the will of the Father to be done. And He waited through pain that most of us could not endure for a moment. Yet through it all, His love never wavered. His patience was not weakness—it was divine strength in motion.
When we lose our patience, we usually lose sight of two things: God’s timing and God’s love. The patient soul trusts both.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught:
“Patience is not passive resignation; it is active waiting upon the Lord. It is not merely enduring; it is enduring well!”
Patience, then, is not standing still—it’s standing faithful.
The Spiritual Power of Waiting: God often teaches us patience by withholding what we want right away. He delays answers to prayers so we can deepen our faith. He stretches our trials so we can expand our trust. He allows detours because He’s developing divine direction within us.
When we rush, we miss what patience reveals. Waiting is one of the Spirit’s most effective classrooms. It’s there we learn humility, empathy, endurance, and grace.
In Mosiah 23:21, we’re told, “The Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.”Notice how patience and faith grow together. Faith gives us the courage to wait; patience gives us the peace to do it without complaint.
Charity “suffereth long” because love that lasts is love that waits.
Learning to Wait With Love: Patience is rarely convenient. It’s tested in traffic, in trials, in parenting, in prayer. It’s tested when you’re doing everything right, but the blessings still seem delayed.
True patience doesn’t mean pretending the wait doesn’t hurt. It means holding hope anyway. It’s okay to feel weary, to wish things were easier. But patience is choosing to stay faithful when nothing changes—and to stay kind when others don’t.
President Henry B. Eyring once said,
“The test of our faith will be in the patience we show in tribulation.”
When we endure patiently, we’re not just waiting on God; we’re walking with Him.
💛 Live It This Week
- Pause before reacting. When irritation arises, take a breath and whisper:
“Lord, help me to wait with love.”
That simple pause is a sacred act of discipleship. - Practice “long-suffering love.” Choose one person or situation that normally tests your patience. Instead of withdrawing, lean in with gentleness and grace.
- Reflect in your journal:
- When has waiting taught me something beautiful?
- How has the Lord shown patience with me personally?
- Pray for the gift of patience. Moroni teaches that charity must be “bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ” (Moroni 7:48). Ask specifically for the patience of Christ to fill your heart.
A Closing Thought: The Lord’s patience with us is endless. He waits as we stumble, learn, and return. He doesn’t rush our growth; He rejoices in it. When we choose to mirror that patience toward others—and toward ourselves—we reflect His divine love.
Charity endures long because Christ endures long with us. And as we wait with Him, we become more like Him—steadfast, gentle, and full of grace.
“Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee” (D&C 24:8).
Discover how to live charity every day in The Essence of Charity. Step into the journey. Study, reflect, and most of all—live charity. And in doing so, you will not only become more Christlike—you will come to know Him.
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