Recently, I was reading 1 Corinthians 13, which is known as the “love passage,” and started feeling really depressed. As I read the text, all I could see was how incapable I was of love. Love is patient. I am not. Love is kind. I often lash out when I’m overwhelmed. Love does not envy. How many times have I felt envious of a friend who has more than I do? Love is humble. Which things do I boast about to make myself look better? Love doesn’t give up. Yikes! After one hard day with my kids, I’m ready to say I’m completely incapable as a parent. I’m ready to give up!
Why does the Bible give us a picture of love that no sin-filled human can live out? Is it just a chance to make us feel bad? Should we really just give up hope because this love thing is impossible? Well, the truth is love is impossible without God. God is love (1 John 4:16).
When I remembered that this passage about love was not telling me what I could not do, it was telling me who God is in response to me, my despair turned into hope!
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 says, “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.”
God promises to be all these things for us, even in our brokenness. We can look at this passage and learn about the character of God through the text.
1. God Is Patient
He is patient with my failures. He teaches and guides me through each new challenge and joy that enters my life. This means I can trust that his love is there with me, even when I feel like I’ve failed too many times to count. God has not thrown up his hand in exasperation! He is patient, desiring that no man perish due to their sinful nature (2 Peter 3:9).
It’s because God is patient with me, that he is slow to anger, that I can be patient with those I love. I can trust that God is not done with them just like I know he is not yet done with me. He is still refining us and making us a new creation in him. I can let go of the wrongs that have been committed against me because I am able to trust that God is the ultimate justice bringer in his own time.
2. God Is Kind
Sometimes, we get this idea that God is like Santa. He is making a list and checking it twice, waiting for the right moment to steal our blessings away once we’ve made too many mistakes. This is not who the Bible tells us God is. God is kind! He desires that we see his goodness in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13).
It’s the promise of kindness that makes God a safe place to go when life gets heavy. God sympathizes with our pain. His Word tells us that he heals the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3). He is not numb or blind to our struggles. It’s his kindness that leads us to repentance, to new life, and healing. It’s his loving kindness that empowers us to give others what they don’t deserve. We can turn the other cheek because we are recipients of God’s gracious love. He empowers us to love beyond what is reasonable by the standards of this world.
3. God Is Selfless
Can you imagine how terrifying it would be to serve a selfish God? Oh man, how much harm could be done on Creation if God was not for us! God so loved the world that he gave his only son that we would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Laying down the life of God’s own self and son is the greatest love act we could fathom. He is so selfless that he faced death so we would know that we are his!
It’s his selfless and sacrificial love that inspires us to give of ourselves for the sake of others. He is the ultimate model of humility, grace, and goodness. When we feel ourselves coming to the end of our own ability to give, we can go to God and rely on his selfless grace to cover our weaknesses. If we ever doubt if God is for us, all we have to do is look back to the cross. His loving kindness displayed on Calvary is God's ultimate declaration that he is for us!
4. God Is Slow to Anger and Keeps No Record of Wrongs
Aren’t you so glad that God is slow to anger! We would be without hope if he was not willing to overlook our wrongs and respond with grace. Through forgiveness, God’s Word tells us that our sins are cast as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:1). Jesus’ blood makes us holy as he is holy.
If God is willing to overlook our wrongs, to give us another chance, to teach us rather than smite us, then we can pause when we see those around us fail. Mercy rather than judgment should guide our interactions. Thankfully, when anger flies out of us before we have a chance to stop ourselves, Jesus gives us the language we need to recover. He tells us that we can freely reach for his forgiveness and then offer that same grace to others. This is the love he teaches us through his slowness to anger and willingness to wash us clean as many times as we need.
5. God Is Truth
As a believer, understanding the balance that God shows us between grace and truth can be one of the toughest things for us to grasp. God is gracious, kind, and slow to anger, yet he never stops showing us the truth. His love is full of boundaries that guide us and guard us. Love is not the absence of rules but it’s embracing the right rules so that we can thrive to be all that we were created to be. God himself abides by boundaries he has placed on himself because if he didn’t he would be just the same as the chaos that defined darkness and evil. He promises to be the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), which is only possible if he conforms to a predictable set of character guidelines.
God gives us a Bible to teach us, show us, and tell us about a way that leads to life! He is defined as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). To be in his loving truth, we have to conform to his way. With the Bible as our guide, we can share the wisdom revealed in his word with the ones we love. We don’t have to do it with anger or hate, but we can share his truth with tenderness just as Jesus did when he walked this Earth as a man.
6. God Protects
God’s love is a nurturing love that looks out for our best interests. This is such a vital truth because the world we live in is not a safe place. It’s hard to understand how God can have his hand in the brokenness we see all around us. God protects his people, he is a Creator, setting order to chaos.
When the darkness comes into our lives we can cry out to a God that rescues. He does not turn a blind eye to our messes or our suffering. Just as he cares for the least of these, we are called to do the same. When God’s love lives in us, we are to be justice bringers, safe havens, and peacemakers for the people in our communities. We are to be safe people for our people, ready to protect those we love from the evil one in whatever capacity we can.
My favorite part of this passage is the note that love perseveres. God doesn't give up on us. He hangs with us, keeps teaching us, and keeps giving mercy for all of our days. I am so grateful for this truth because I am stubborn and don’t learn quickly. I’m so thankful that no failure on my part can separate me from my God. His love is endless.
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Amanda Idleman is a writer whose passion is to encourage others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for My Daily Bible Verse Devotional and Podcast, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, the Daily Devotional App, she has work published with Her View from Home, on the MOPS Blog, and is a regular contributor for Crosswalk.com. She has most recently published a devotional, Comfort: A 30 Day Devotional Exploring God's Heart of Love for Mommas. You can find out more about Amanda on her Facebook Page or follow her on Instagram.