1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
This passage gets used a lot at weddings, but Paul didn't write it for couples — he wrote it for a church full of conflict and division. The love he describes isn't just a feeling, it's a daily decision of character. (Note: the KJV renders this word "charity," an older English term for the same self-giving love other translations render "love.")
Let's not overcomplicate this: biblical love isn't measured by what you feel, it's measured by how you treat people when you don't feel like doing it well.
Which of these descriptions of love is the hardest for me to live out with the people closest to me?
Pick just one quality from this list (patience, humility, not keeping a record of wrongs) and deliberately practice it today with a specific person.
Lord, Your definition of love is more demanding than mine. Help me love this way, even when it costs me, with the person in front of me today.
Recommended reading: John 13:34-35