1 Corinthians 13:4-7
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. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.
Our society confuses love and lust. Unlike lust, God’s kind of love is directed towards others, not inward towards ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. You can only practice this kind of love if God helps us set aside our own desires and instincts, so that we can give love while expecting nothing in return. The more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others.
Paul shows us in chapter 13 that love is more important than all spiritual gifts exercised in the church body. Great faith, acts of dedication or sacrifice, and miracle-working power produce very little without love. Love makes our actions and gifts useful. Although people have different gifts, love is available to everyone.
God gives us spiritual gifts for our lives here on earth in order to build up, serve, and strengthen fellow Christians. The spiritual gifts are for the church. The church is not a place or a building, but it is those people who are saved. We are the church!
