1 Corinthians 13: 4-7Love 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.

This passage is probably one of the most well-known in the New Testament. I bet many of us who are married had this verse read at our weddings. It took me a while to realize that this isn’t necessarily about romantic love, but agape love. My understanding is that Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth during a tough time when there were lots of disagreements among the church members. They were doing important work, but had lost sight of their love for one another.

When we think about loving our neighbors, we often think about it in the abstract sense. It’s easy to talk about loving our neighbors, but this verse makes clear that the love that Paul is talking about is an action verb. In fact, he lists many actions, both positive and negative that are love-driven. I wonder why he listed patience first? That one really hits home for me as I am often most impatient with the ones I love the most. If you’re patient, you’re slow to anger, you endure personal wrongs without retaliating. You bear with others’ imperfections, faults, and differences. You give them time to change, room to make mistakes without coming down hard on them. All that takes work.

And then comes Kindness. Kindness is patience in action. It originates from a Greek word meaning “useful”. A kind person is usually helpful. He seeks out needs and looks for opportunities to meet those needs without repayment. He is tender and forgiving when wronged, and his kindness motivates others toward positive change.

Jealousy and envy are two important negative actions that exist when agape love is not there. They both stem from selfishness. Jealousy is wanting what someone else has. Bragging is trying to make others jealous of what we have. Jealousy puts others down; bragging builds us up in our own minds. Neither are healthy, helpful, or loving.

I am working on making my love more actionable and intentional. By doing so, I hope to create some positive change in my life.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord, let us hear Your Word and let it guide us toward love in actionable ways. You are the perfect example for us. Amen.

This devotion was written by Virginia Hardwick Kerr.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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