p‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour 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 truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres’ (vv. 4-7 NIVUK). Read that through again, slowly. Forget the heard-it-a-billion-times associations. Come at it with fresh eyes. It provides such a clear framework for us when it comes to showing love. It describes precisely what love in action should look like. That is exactly how God intends us to show His love to one another. How does that apply to us, though? Love is patient, but we’re not always patient; Love is kind, but often we act or speak before thinking and end up acting unkindly; Love doesn’t envy or boast, but we do far too often. God’s given us a perfect picture of love, and He wants us to follow it as closely as we can. He knows that we fall short. But He’s given us 1 Corinthians 13 to show how He loves us. And, He *is* love. He is all of those things in the passage, only His power can make our lives in line with that list. When we’re impatient, *He* is patiently waiting for us to turn to him. When we’re unkind, it’s God’s kindness and grace that softens our hearts. /p
pWhat now?br /
Don’t get caught up in trying to be perfect. Read something that Jesus did from a Gospel today, and just focus on thanking Him for being who He is. Ask for it to be His power that makes you more like Him, in His time./p