1 Corinthians 13:4-8 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, and always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

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We’re so distracted by so much — global issues, social issues, financial issues — that we often lose sight of what love really is. It seems a vast majority of the world looks at Christianity like a silly, child’s play hope in some imaginary friend in the sky. A hocus pocus religion full of judgemental individuals who support racism or some kind of twisted conservative political movement.

We’ve muddied Christianity with human imperfection and a lost people who don’t entirely understand the heartbeat of God when He said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice…” [Matthew 9:13, Hosea 6:6] In the same way Jesus challenged the religious leaders of His time, the challenge is still alive today. The truth is, for those of us wholeheartedly seeking a relationship with God, seeking righteousness, keeping our eyes on heaven, Jesus is far more than a religious set of rules. The heartbeat of God screams for His kids to be healthy, trusting Him as a Father — the perfect Father — who knows us to our core and still desires the best for us.

The rules don’t mean anything without God — without love. Looking at how the world, through it’s various mediums, might portray love, it’s slightly misguided. Passion, infatuation, sex, unrealistic expectations of loyalty, codependency, affirmation, or imbalanced emotions often come through our Netflix binges and movie nights as the definition of love, but it’s not a healthy depiction.

Most of us spend so much of our lives hungry for something more. It either fuels us to overachieve or it causes us to spiral into a messy hole we dig. Either way, we’re always coming up empty and something’s still missing. We hear the statement, “Love always wins,” but how can that be true if we don’t really know what love is.

John 15:13 says, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”


Luke 6:32 says, “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!”

Considering this depiction of love, and comparing it to a society that is self-sufficient, self-serving, and self-preserving, we might say that love is lost. But does it mean we would become doormats in a dominating society like such, trampled upon because of our meek demeanor? No, that is not necessarily what Jesus nor the Apostles taught. Although, the Apostles did readily become imprisoned, wrongfully accused, and murdered for the sake of God’s good news of unconditional love, mercy, and grace.

Love is patient — the first defining characteristic. Love is kind — the second. As 1 Corinthians 13 continues, it shows us a love that existed in the same man who was unjustly nailed to a cross for the sake of the whole world and the uncountable souls to come. That very same love that laid down his life for the very people who condemned Him to the cross.

We are called to mirror Jesus’ walk on earth, but we can’t do that on our own, using our own human understanding. Instead, we were gifted access to a “helper,” a “comforter,” the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Being a mirrored image of Jesus, to be love, calls for a connection to the Father and the wisdom of His Spirit in us. To be love, we must know love. We need to understand the characteristics of love. But not on our own, with help from His Spirit.

This is your choice. Tired of searching? Tired of trying? Tired of finding your coping mechanisms come up empty time and time again? Perhaps, and it may seem silly to some… Perhaps, it’s time to give God a chance. Just consider for a moment this love does exist and let Him show up. He gives us the freedom to choose to believe, but He’ll also let you question Him. The truth never worries about questions the way lies do… So, if you haven’t already considered getting to know this kind of love, would you be willing?