Love is Patient & Kind

Here we are in the month when everything is about love. The word gets thrown around so much these days that for me, I always want to make sure when I am using it, I mean it. I also want to make sure when I say it, my actions are in alignment with it.

Is it work? Yes.

So what does that look like? Well, when going back to the basics of what truly defines love, I come to find that these two words hold the most weight when you read the way God describes love in the Bible. He specifically says “love is patient” and that “love is kind” in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8. If we all operated with the words patient and kind in the forefront of our minds during every encounter we had, it would leave others truly feeling loved. Whether that looks like the daily encounters you have when passing strangers, or navigating difficult situations, through those actions, we are exhibiting a good representation of Christ. You never know what someone might be going through and small acts of kindness can go a long way. It not only is something that benefits those around you greatly but there’s something special about helping others no matter the scale.

So, as you go through this month, think about those two words with every encounter you have (and not just on Valentine’s day!). We can take the loving theme of this month as a starting point to bring this mentality into the rest of the year ahead. It is the most inexpensive gift you can give someone to show them how much you truly love them.

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. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 (NIV)