This Is Love

I’ve been sitting with 1 Corinthians 13 lately… not just reading it, but really letting it search me. And the more I sit with it, the more I realize love isn’t what I thought it was.

God says love is patient. And if I’m honest… I’m not always patient. I get frustrated. I want things to move faster. I want people to respond the way I would. But God’s love doesn’t rush. It stays. It endures. It waits without becoming harsh.

He says love is kind. Not just nice when it’s easy. But gentle, compassionate, intentional. The kind of kindness that shows up even when the other person doesn’t deserve it. And that’s exactly how God has loved me… over and over again.

Love doesn’t envy. It doesn’t look at someone else and feel bitterness over what they have. It doesn’t compare. It doesn’t compete. And I’ve had to sit with that, because comparison comes so naturally. But God’s love is secure. It celebrates others instead of resenting them.

Love doesn’t boast. It isn’t proud. It doesn’t need to prove anything. It doesn’t have to be seen or praised. And that one humbles me… because pride can be so quiet, so subtle. But real love doesn’t elevate itself, it lowers itself. Just like Jesus did.

Love isn’t rude. It doesn’t dishonor people. It doesn’t dismiss them or speak carelessly. It chooses respect, even in frustration. And I’ve realized… tone matters. The way we speak matters. Love pays attention to that.

It doesn’t insist on its own way. And this one is hard. Because I like control. I like my way. But love considers others. It yields. It listens. It doesn’t force itself. It makes room.

Love isn’t irritable. It doesn’t snap at every little thing. It isn’t constantly on edge. And that convicted me, because sometimes I am easily irritated. But God’s love is steady. It’s not fragile like that.

It keeps no record of wrongs. It doesn’t hold things over someone’s head. It doesn’t replay offenses. It doesn’t quietly keep score. And when I read that… I realized how easy it is to remember what hurt us. But God doesn’t love me like that. He forgives, fully.

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. And I think this is why certain things don’t sit right with me anymore. Things I used to be okay with… I’m not anymore. Not because I’m trying to be better than anyone, but because my heart is changing. Love doesn’t celebrate what’s wrong, it aligns with what’s true. With what’s pure. With what reflects God.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. It doesn’t give up easily. It doesn’t assume the worst. It holds onto hope. It stays when it would be easier to walk away.

And love never ends. The more I read this, the more I realize… this isn’t just a checklist of how I should love others.

This is how God loves me.

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

He is patient with me.
He is kind to me.
He doesn’t keep a record of my wrongs.
He doesn’t give up on me.

And if this is the love He gives… then this is the love I’m learning to walk in.

Not perfectly. Not all at once.

But little by little, He’s reshaping my heart. And I think that’s why my perspective on love is changing too.

I don’t want something temporary.
I don’t want something selfish.
I don’t want something that only stays when it’s easy.

I want something that looks like this. Something that reflects Him. Because anything less… isn’t really love at all.

So maybe the question isn’t just “Do I feel loved?” But…
Am I patient like this?
Am I kind like this?
Do I keep score… or do I let things go?
Do I love in a way that reflects Him… or in a way that reflects me?

Because this kind of love isn’t something we just read about. It’s something we’re invited to become.

Prayer

Father,
Thank You for loving me with a love that is patient, kind, and never ending.
A love that doesn’t give up on me… even when I fall short.
Teach me to love like that.
Not just in words, but in the quiet moments. In my reactions, my thoughts, and my heart.
Shape me into someone who reflects You.
And guard my heart from accepting anything less than the love You’ve shown me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.