Love’s True Nature

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
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Love’s True Nature
Paul’s description of love reveals its selfless, Christ-like character. True love is not centered on emotions or self-interest but on the well-being of others. Just as Christ laid down His life for us, love seeks to serve, not be served. The love described here is not merely an ideal but the fruit of faith in Jesus. In our sinful nature, we fail to love perfectly. But through Christ, who first loved us, we are renewed to reflect this love in our relationships. Love, grounded in truth, rejoices in God’s will, patiently enduring in hope. Let us daily strive to live in this love by the power of the Holy Spirit.