First Corinthians 13 is commonly referred to as the love chapter, and it is often read at weddings. However, if we limit the instructions to only romantic love, we miss out on instruction for how we are to interact with everyone we come in contact with, in church or out of church.
Paul starts the chapter describing how every gift lacks value in God’s Kingdom if we do not have love. The middle of the chapter includes an amazing self-check guide to reflect on the level of love in our own lives, and I will emphasize this as the insight and action focus. The final section of this chapter explains how all else will fade and decrease, but love will remain. For this reason, I want to draw insight from the middle section and look for actionable steps to take out of that insight.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
As I reflected on these verses, I succumbed to the age old trap of seeing the speck in my brother’s eye and neglecting the log in my own (Matthew 7:5). Part of that is choosing to value certain aspects as more important than others, but ultimately all of these verses are included in Paul’s description and instruction of love.
So, again I asked myself questions and was challenged by my answers. Perhaps some of these questions will help you…
- Am I patient? Am I kind? Do I envy or boast? Am I proud, rude, or self-seeking?
- How easily do I get angered? Am I keeping score and a list of others’ wrongs?
- How deeply planted am I in the word of truth, allowing it to shape my mind, heart, soul, and strength?
- Do I always protect others? How about the people I do not agree with?
- Do I always trust? What about those who I think are wrong?
- How is my hope? Have I placed it in the wrong things or people and gotten distracted from hoping in God and His plan?
- How about perseverance? Am I standing strong in the face of challenges or have I taken the path of least resistance in some area of my life?
Do any of these questions hit home in your time of reflection?
That is the first step of transformation. Ask God to reveal the areas that need the microscopic surgery of His word (the sword of the spirit), and then take action steps that move you toward being more patient or kind, protecting or trusting others, remembering where your hope lies.
Be mindful of the power of small steps in the right direction. There is power in each small action we make in integrating new insight. It is a journey of many steps. We do not get there in one leap, but we will never make forward progress if we do not take a step toward our goal.
And since love is what will remain, love should be our ultimate goal.
KATHY PIERBURG 