Scripture

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Consider

This excerpt from the “Love Chapter” in 1 Corinthians may be familiar to us from many readings, both personal and from the pulpit, recited at weddings or printed in Dayspring Valentine cards. Paul’s words are timeless but perhaps so familiar that we tend to gloss over the extraordinary standard that pure Love establishes. Paul speaks in absolutes, with no compromises, no excuses. Written for the life and nurture of the Christian community, Jesus’ law of love is spelled out beautifully yet rigorously in these few verses, setting out the very footsteps of Christ for us to follow.

In his book The Good and Beautiful God, author James Bryan Smith suggests substituting God’s Name for the word “love” in this passage, to add another dimension to our understanding of love:

God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God does not dishonor others, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.

This loving essence that is God becomes available to us through the transforming work of the Spirit in our hearts. As we seek to follow Christ, the Spirit reshapes us to resemble more and more the mind and heart of God. With the Spirit’s help, therefore, we can discern yet another dimension of Love by imagining ourselves living out the lovely attributes of God in our relationships. Try this exercise of inserting your name into the passage and envisioning your life with God’s loving essence free to flow through you:

[_____] is patient, [_____] is kind. [_____] does not envy, [_____] does not boast, [_____] is not proud. [_____] does not dishonor others, [_____] is not self-seeking, [_____] is not easily angered, [_____] keeps no record of wrongs. [_____] does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [_____] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. [_____] never fails.

It’s a tall order, and impossible to fulfill without God’s miraculous intervention. We need the Spirit’s help to hold back our selfish desires and teach us more gracious ways to handle our relationships. The best place to start is dwelling in our love for God and appreciating all the ways God loves and cares for us. Loving our neighbors will then come more naturally and sincerely, helping us to notice when we are not being patient or kind, and motivating us to practice more loving ways.

Pray

Most loving Father, I confess to knowing very little about the powerful and mysterious essence of your nature, which is called Love. Build in me a desire to know and love You better so that I might know and love my neighbors and mirror You in all the ways I treat them.

Reflect

Acts 4:32; 1 Corinthians 2:16; 2 Peter 1:4

Ponder

Which of Love’s attributes do I already see in my treatment of others? Which are the most difficult for me to practice?