By Chuck Peters
As Huey Lewis once said, the power of love is a curious thing. I have been thinking about the “love chapter” in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 a lot lately. You know the passage:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor 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 the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
While it is often read at weddings as a sweet and sensitive sentiment, Paul did not write these words to wedding guests. They were written to the leaders of the church in Corinth to address disputes, debauchery, and division in the church. While we often think of love as a warm, mushy feeling that sweeps over us, the kind of love that the Apostle Paul describes here isn’t a feeling; it is a choice. It isn’t self-serving but self-sacrificing. It does nothing out of selfish conceit but causes me to humbly consider others more important than myself.
The love that Paul describes requires courage that can only come from strength. Don’t hear me wrong—this is not a commanding and demanding strength that flexes power over others, but a holy strength that is characterized by gentleness and self-control. Godly, biblical love compels us to put the well-being of others over our personal, prideful preferences. It is a love that always protects and never harms.
This kind of love is completely counter to my human nature. It isn’t easy to be patient or kind when I am annoyed. It’s against my nature to not boast or be proud when I win. It is hard to not be easily angered when I feel justified to do so. And it requires incredible fortitude to rip up my records of wrongs that others have committed against me, refusing to harbor bitterness and resentment against them.
Love like this isn’t attainable for wimps or weaklings. It can’t be achieved by the insecure and immature.
This love can only flow from a position and posture of strength—but this is not from your own mustered-up strength. It requires power that comes from the Father, by His Spirit, and through His Son. We can only love others this way because He first loved us. It is only in His strength that I can forgive others, even when they don’t apologize, because God has forgiven me so much more.
As a husband, father, and leader, I will choose to continually fight against my own fleshly, prideful, spiteful nature and will strive to live a life characterized by selfless love. Brothers and sisters in Christ, men and women of God, I entreat you to do so too.
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