Daily Devotional · 1 Corinthians 13:4–7
Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind
Reflection
"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." 1 Corinthians 13 is placed between Paul's teaching on spiritual gifts (chapters 12 and 14). The Corinthian church had significant gifts — tongues, prophecy, knowledge — and was using them for status and competition rather than building each other up. Paul made the key claim at the beginning: you can have all the spiritual gifts imaginable, and without love, you are nothing. Not weaker than you could be — nothing (v. 2). Then he defined love. Every characteristic he named is behavioral, not emotional. Love is not primarily a feeling; it is a way of acting. Patient: slow to anger, bearing with others over time. Kind: actively beneficent, doing good. Does not envy: no resentment at another's blessing. Does not boast: no self-promotion at others' expense. Not proud: no inflated self-assessment. Does not dishonor: not rude, not demeaning. Not self-seeking: not looking out for number one. Not easily angered: slow to take offense. Keeps no record of wrongs: does not accumulate grievances. Does not delight in evil: does not celebrate others' failures. Rejoices with truth: celebrates what is actually right. The four "always" statements close the definition: always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. No exceptions, no qualifications.
Background
1 Corinthians 13 is sometimes called the "Hymn to Love" (Paul may have composed it as a piece of elevated prose or even a hymn). It is universally beloved but was written for a specific pastoral problem: the Corinthians were competitive, divisive, prideful about their spiritual gifts, and using tongues and prophecy to elevate themselves. The chapter is Paul's correction: all of that, without love, is worthless. The most important gift is the one that serves the other.
Truth
Love as Paul defined it is not primarily a feeling that happens to you — it is a series of behavioral decisions that you make for the sake of another. You cannot wait until you feel like being patient, kind, or humble. You choose patience, kindness, and humility — and the feeling may follow. Love is action before it is emotion.
Application
Read the list of love's characteristics as a mirror. Which one is the most convicting for you right now — patience, kindness, not keeping a record of wrongs, not being self-seeking? Pick the one that most describes where you are failing to love a specific person in your life. Make one behavioral change toward them this week that enacts that characteristic.