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.
Love never fails.
I Corinthians 13:4-7
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I Corinthians 13 is one of the most famous chapters in the entire Bible: The Love Chapter.
Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud…
No doubt, if you have been to more than one or two Christian weddings, you have heard it read.
But you know what is interesting about that chapter? It appears right between two chapters on Spiritual Gifts!
I Corinthians 12 is a chapter about spiritual gifts, how each of us has received different gifts, but we all make up the same Body of Christ. I Corinthians 14, similarly, is a chapter providing instructions on the spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy.
Between these two chapters on how we should be using our gifts, The Holy Spirit inserts I Corinthians 13—a chapter dedicated to Love.
Which mean that this incredibly important chapter wasn’t written to be read specifically at weddings (although it’s still a great chapter for those moments). I Corinthians 13 was written for a different purpose: It was given to us as a description of how we should be using our spiritual gifts to serve others—both inside and outside the church.
To remove any doubt, this is how Paul begins his description of love: “And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in tongues, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong. If I have the gift of prophecy… if I have the gift of faith, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
His entire introduction to his description of Love is about how using our spiritual gifts without love is worthless.
I Corinthians 13 is a description of the attitude we should take when we serve and give ourselves to others. It is a description of how we use the gifts and the talents and the treasures that God has given to us.
It defines how we are to interact with others in the Church and the Body of Christ.
We use our gifts, whatever they are, motivated by patience and kindness. We do not envy, we do not boast, we are not proud or rude or easily angered. We serve the Body of Christ from a posture of humility and selflessness. We do not keep a record of the wrongs of others, but we personally seek to walk in truth each day to better follow Christ and serve both Him and others. We use our gifts to protect others, trust others, hope in others, and persevere with others.
Love never fails.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to love. In all that I do, help me to be motivated not by selfishness or arrogance or pride. Help me serve others in the Body of Christ with love. Show me what that means and help me walk in it today.