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Love is Patient and Kind

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 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. …1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-8 NIV

Love is the ultimate aim of my life

…but do not have love, I am nothing 1 CORINTHIANS 13:2 NIV

Love is the ultimate sign of maturity and growth as a Christian

… “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” MATTHEW 22:37-40 NIV

Love is when I give myself for the good of others

Agape: a self-giving act for the good of another person

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. JOHN 15:13 NIV

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 1 JOHN 3:18 NLT

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 JOHN 4:7-8 NIV

Love is when I give to others the time they need

Patience: long-suffering without responding in anger

Who in your life is God calling you to love by giving them the time they need?

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 PETER 3:8-9 NIV

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
ROMANS 2:4 NLT

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Find a place to be still and consider your thoughts about God and others in your life. Pray to God for wisdom and honest self-reflection. Ask God to help you enjoy His presence today. Perhaps it can be a slow walk, a simple task, or spending time in God’s word. What act of love does God have for you today? Ask God to reveal to you how He and others love you. In what ways do you feel loved by God? How do you feel loved by others in your life? Thank God for how He has loved you. Next, examine where in your life you have felt unloved by others. Share with God how you have felt hurt. Let God remind you of your identity as His wonderfully made child. Allow time and space for this reality to sink in. Finally, as you consider these things, ask God to reveal how you can better love others through patience and kindness. Where do you think God is guiding you to demonstrate His love? What is one step you can take to accomplish that this week? Close your time by thanking God for the eternal patience and great love He has for you.

Discussion Questions

NOTE: Choose a couple of the following questions from each section that best fit your group. Or have everyone read the questions, choosing which one(s) from each section they feel led to respond to.

  1. START HERE: What’s your favorite love story?
  2. START HERE: When have you felt the most loved in your life?
  3. START HERE: What, for you, would constitute a well-lived day?
  4. KEEP GOING: Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 (NLT). What makes loving people so challenging?
  5. KEEP GOING: When you think about your love for people, what are you expecting in return?
  6. KEEP GOING: What would indicate to other people in your life that you are growing in love?
  7. KEEP GOING: According to 1 Corinthians 13, ‘Everything minus love equals nothing.’ What is it about love that is so significant that if you have everything but don’t have love, you have nothing?
  8. LIVE IT OUT: Consider the pace of your life; where are you in a rush? How can you slow your pace in order to love people with patience?
  9. LIVE IT OUT: Who in your life is God calling you to love by giving them the time they need?
  10. LIVE IT OUT: This week, spend time journaling through and thanking God for the ways He has been patient with you throughout your life.