Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness, NavPress, 1996, p. 171-172.
Patience does not ignore the provocations of others; it simply seeks to respond to them in a godly manner. It enables us to control our tempers when we are provoked and to seek to deal with the person and his provocation in a way that tends to heal relationships rather than aggravate problems. It seeks the ultimate good of the other individual, rather than the immediate satisfaction of our own aroused emotions.
Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness, NavPress, 1996, p. 171-172.