Love is patient and kind;
It is not jealous or conceited or proud.
(1 Corinthians 13:4 GNT)
For the next few days, we will break down the famous Love verses from 1 Corinthians 13. We are going to look at it from the perspective of the character of God. For this series, we will put the name of God in each of the phrases, for example, “God is patient and kind. God is not jealous or conceited or proud.”
Looking at these verses from this perspective changes the way we look at this chapter. God is perfect love, and when we look at these verses from this perspective, we can understand the characteristics of love more profoundly and completely.
God is patient because He is willing to wait for us to come to Him for salvation. In the book of Revelation, Jesus stands at the door and knocks, waiting patiently for us to open it so He may come in.
God is kind because even when we turn our backs on Him, He is always there with arms wide open to receive us when we turn back to Him and repent.
God has shown us how to walk in His ways, including not being jealous, conceited, or proud. As believers, He gives us the ability to be more like Him, as we are made righteous having been born again through Jesus Christ.
When we stop focusing on our deficiencies and focus instead on God, He can transform us further into His image including how we are to love others.
"Where Love is, God is." - Henry Drummond