1 Corinthians 13

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love 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. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.


It's crazy how many times I've heard these verses. I've heard them used to describe a plethora of situations. For whatever reason, though, I cannot seem to shake these verses as of late. So, I'm going to work through each thing that Love is as I go through the days and weeks to come. I invite you to join me on this journey.

Love is patient.

I guess I don't even know what patient really means. I guess when I lose my patience, I have lost my ability to wait. But I perused the internet and found this definition, "Bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance with calmness."

Wait a minute. Did that just link pain, difficulty, provocation, and annoyance with the word patient? Not only do I have to be calm, but I have to endure, bear...pain...difficulty, provocation?!

Woah, talk about a strike one for me. I'm not patient. I long so deeply to exhibit the love that God has called me to. (Romans 13 talks about leaving no debt outstanding except for the debt of love.) So what are the fruits of love? First and foremost, it's one that I struggle with constantly.

I hate waiting in lines. I hate exasperating conversations with people who don't seem to get the point. I hate waiting for issues to be resolved. I hate enduring pain while waiting for the rainbow after the rain.

But love isn't just a noun. It is a verb. And I long, ever so much, to be one who is known for their love. Not because I like tooting my own horn, but because showing Love is to show God.

How do I become more patient? How do I safeguard myself from losing my patience? Where do I begin?