“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.” 1
Corinthians 13:4-8
Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church was his third contact
with them. The first was the
establishment of the church itself. The
second was an earlier letter dealing with a division within the body of
believers. It seems that the Corinthian believers had developed an overbearing
sense of self-importance. Basically,
they were in love with themselves. To
this Paul writes what true love is.
I refer to the above verses as “the definition of
love”. Notice that all the
characteristics listed exist in our Creator.
Since we are to be a reflection of God this is how we are to act. Acquiring these traits isn’t
instantaneous. It can take years to
develop some of these. Having said that
we should definitely set our sights on making that acquisition. For the next couple days I am going to
dissect several of these traits and expound on them briefly.
I wrote a book dealing with the topic of patience when it comes to waiting on
God. Here Paul is telling the believer to be patient with one another. Some folks push our patience to the outer limits. We are to be patient with them. We are to love them. It is to be heartfelt and real. Make them
feel wanted. Let them know you truly
care about them. You can revolutionize
someone’s life by treating them with loving patience. Is this too hard? Think about the immense patience God
practices with you. I realize that God
is perfect in every way, but if we are going to imitate our Lord, then we have
to start somewhere. Patience is as good a place to start as any.
Remember the mantra What Would Jesus Do? Whenever you are confronted with a situation
and you don’t know what to do, ask yourself what the Lord would do in that
situation. You have to know Him
intimately before you can know the answer to that question. Draw closer to Him daily and become more
patient in all circumstances. Until
next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
Mantra: A commonly repeated word or phrase, especially
in advocacy or for motivation. [American Heritage Dictionary]
Reference: The
Asbury Bible Commentary: The Occasion and Setting of the Letter
