1Corinthians 13:4-8a

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. Love never fails.

Before you continue reading, let's make sure you and I are on the same page. The love we are talking about is not “love” between a girl and a guy. This does not have anything to do with dating, though of course you should show brotherly love, which is love that Christians are required to give to friend and foe alike, to everyone. Think of this as love between you and your friends, family, and God. What is love? Well as you can see above, love is patient, kind, protecting, etc. Let us go through each of these attributes, one by one. How to use this study: Choose one of these each day to read. Look up the verses listed or try to memorize the ones that are written out for you. Remember to pray before you start and open your mind to learning. Think about what is written, and get the most out of your study.

Love is patient.

Patience is possibly one of the hardest virtues of all those listed in 1 Corinthians 13 to have. It is the one that most people struggle with. Achieving patience is done with discipline and it takes time.
There are two kinds of patience: keeping your temper with somebody who is frustrating you, and learning how to wait. Often, you must wait whether you want to or not. Remember that you must not get frustrated when something is taking to long! Remember: good things come to those who wait! If you rush something, it may not be as good as it would have been if you had just waited.
To keep your temper with someone who is frustrating you is not an easy task. It may seem at the moment as if it would be easier to just blow up at someone, but when you are upset you must try to never act harshly. Getting irritated at somebody will fan tempers and hurt feelings.

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Love is Kind.

Kindness is a necessary virtue if you want to have friends. Certainly there are many unkind people who seem to have many friends, but unkind people attract unkind friends, not true friends who put the interests of other people first, such as true friends do.
Even if you mean well, sarcasm and teasing seem unkind and hurt feelings. You may not know you have emotionally wounded someone if they hide their feelings. If you tease someone about something, there is a good chance you are touching on a sensitive subject. Watch your words; be careful.

Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Love does not envy.

Envy is destructive. Envy causes people to want something madly, and to forget that things of this world are earthly and in time will pass away. Take a bit of time to look up and think on the verses listed below.

Matthew 6:19-21
Ecclesiastes 4:4
James 13:16
Exodus 20:17
James 4:2

Love does not boast, it is not proud.

Have you ever bragged about what you have or do? I’m sure you have. Everybody has. This does not mean I am excusing it as natural. Bragging has brought me into a couple of sticky situations before. I had to learn to stop boasting and become more humble. I am not saying that I am brag-free or perfect, because I am not, I am simply saying that we must learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others. Pride is what often brings bragging on, that and insecurity. Here are a few verses to view about boasting.
Proverbs 27:1
Jeremiah 9:24
James 4:16
Psalm 101:5
Proverbs 16:19
Proverbs 18:12

Love is not rude.

Upset with someone? Don’t snap at them or come up with rude remarks to throw at them! Try to think about how they feel and put yourself in their shoes. Living with siblings can be tough, and there will be an occasional bicker, but try to be compassionate and kind, warding off fights.
Genesis 15:17
Ephesians 4:32
Proverbs 11:16-17

Love is not self-seeking.

What does ”self-seeking” mean? Simply looking out only for one’s self and being selfish. Beware this seemingly harmless flaw! It will hurt not only yourself but the people around you.
Romans 2:8
Proverbs 18:1
Philippians 2:3

Love is not easily angered.

Watch your temper! Nobody likes someone who flies into a fury at the drop of a hat. Tantrums are not OK for big kids. Be careful, losing your temper may destroy your witness.
Proverbs 14:17
Proverbs 22:24-25
1Timothy 3:11
Philippians 2:5
Exodus 34:6

Love keeps no record of wrongs.

According to this verse, the opposite of evil is truth. Does not that also mean the opposite of good is lies? Satan is called the Father of Lies. Don’t join with him in the endeavor to deceive! Tell the truth always, even when it is hard. It will be better for you in the long run, because you will have a reputation of trustworthiness.

Colossians 3:9 –10 “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator.”

Love always protects.

This means that if you love someone, you will protect and defend them from harm. Have you ever stood up to someone who was picking on a friend or sibling? Has anyone ever done that for you? Don’t be afraid to approach someone who is being unkind unless there is a chance you could be hurt. In that case, avoid the person.
Ecclesiastes 4:12
John 21:16
Acts 20:28

Love always trusts.

Sometimes it is hard to trust someone who breaks promises and lies to you. You should still trust them! I don’t mean with your big secrets, your wallet or your feelings. I mean trust them by continually showing love to them. Trust them with your friendship. Help and encourage them to build your trust. And make sure you are trustworthy! Most of all, trust God. He will never let you down!
Psalm 31:14
Proverbs 3:5-6
Proverbs 11:13
Luke 16:11-12

Love always hopes.

Do you hope to get a good grade? Do you hope to win your ball game? Do you hope your sister will achieve an award? If so, good for you! Hoping something good will happen to somebody else means you are not always focused on what you want. Do your best to cheer on those whom you love, remembering that it is not all about you.

2 Corinthians 1:7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Love always perseveres.

This means that even during difficult times, such as a disagreement or a big mistake, you will never stop loving someone, and they will not stop loving you. God will never stop loving you, either!

1 Chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever.

Love never fails.

Love never fails! No matter what. For this one, I am going to challenge you to find some of your own verses that go with this, and to review the past lessons. Also, try memorizing 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, or at least part of it.

E-mail me and let me know what you come up with!