#peevish

You’ve heard of Peevish Sheep, now get ready for 

by John Calvin

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13

The first commendation of love is this: that by patient endurance of many things, it promotes peace and harmony in the church. Near akin to this is the second excellence: gentleness and leniency. A third excellence is that it counteracts emulation [rivalry, competition], the seed of all contentions. Under emulation Paul comprehends envy. Where envy reigns, that is, where everyone is desirous to be the first or appear so, love has no place.

Another aspect of love is moderation. Paul declares it a bridle to restrain men so that they may live together in a peaceable and orderly manner. He adds that love has nothing of the nature of pride. A man, then, who is governed by love, is not puffed up with pride so as to despise others and feel satisfied with himself.

Love does not behave itself unseemly. That is, love does not exult in a foolish ostentation. It does not bluster, but observes moderation and propriety.

Love does not seek its own. From this we may infer how very far we are from having love implanted in us by nature, for we are naturally prone to have love and care for ourselves and aim at our own advantage. Nay, to speak more correctly, we rush headlong into it. The remedy for so perverse an inclination is love, which leads us to leave off caring for ourselves and feel concerned for our neighbors, so as to love them and be concerned for their welfare. In addition, to seek one's own things is to be devoted to self and to be wholly taken up with concern for one's own advantage. Paul does not here reprove every kind of care or concern for ourselves, but the excess of it which proceeds from an immoderate and blind attachment to ourselves.

Loves bears all things. By this Paul estimates that love is neither impatient nor spiteful. For to bear and endure all things is the part of forbearance: to believe and hope all things is the part of candor and kindness. As we are naturally too much devoted to self, this vice renders us morose and peevish. The effect is that everyone wishes that others should carry him upon their shoulders, but refuses for his part to assist others. The remedy for this disease is love, which makes us subject to our brethren and teaches us to apply our shoulders to their burdens. And as we are naturally spiteful, we are, consequently, also suspicious and take almost everything amiss. Love, on the other hand, calls us back to kindness so that we think favorably and candidly of our neighbors.

When Paul says "all things," we must understand him as referring to the things that ought to be endured, and in such a manner as is befitting. We are not to bear with vices so as to give our sanction to them.

Love believes all things. Not that the Christian knowingly and willingly allows himself to be imposed upon, or that he divests himself of prudence and judgment that he may be the more easily taken advantage of, but that there is simplicity and kindness in judging. The consequence will be that a Christian will reckon it better to be imposed upon by his own kindness and easy temper than to wrong his brother by an unfriendly suspicion.

when someone calls to schedule an appointment, i always give the options, “are you looking to get in after a certain time or as soon as possible?”

every time they choose “as soon as possible” and i read the soonest time, THEY NEVER WANT IT.

“mmmm…. no what’s the next time after that”

“[NEXT TIME SLOT]”

“mmmm do you have anything a little later?”

“[NEXT TIME SLOT, ONE AFTER IT]”

“no, that doesn’t quite work either. do you have any appointments after [X] o’clock?”

adj. Querulous or discontented.