“Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 (GW)
The same love that God gives to me, he wants me to offer to everyone I meet. It’s not an option or a suggestion. It’s a command from Jesus himself: “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34 NLT).
As a follower of Christ, I must love everybody—whether I like them or not—in the same way that Christ loves me. That means I am to love them unconditionally, forgive them totally, and consider them extremely valuable.
Loving others in this way will transform relationships!
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up” (GW).
This is how God loves me. God never stops being patient with me. God never stops believing in me. God never stops hoping for the best in my life. God never gives up on me. And that’s what God wants me to do with everybody else.
“Love never stops being patient.” That means love extends grace. I need to offer grace to others.
“Love never stops believing.” That means it expresses faith. I tell someone, “Even though we’re having a tough time, I will never stop believing in you.”
“Love never stops hoping.” That means love expects the best. Am I expecting the best in my relationships, or have I settled for less than the best?
“Love never gives up.” That means love endures the worst. It means I can look at the other person and say, “You can throw everything at me, but I’m going to keep loving you, no matter what.”
To see transformation in relationships today, I can pray this:
“Dear God, I admit that I have made a mess in my relationships. They’re complicated and broken, and I’ve often settled for less than the best. They need a transformation! I’d like you to begin by changing me. Deliver me from my fears, because I can see how they make me distant and defensive and even demanding. Today and every day from now on, I want to surrender my heart to you. I want to learn to live my life in your love and be filled with your love.
“Help me to accept others, just as you’ve accepted me. Help me to love others unconditionally, just as you have loved me. Help me to forgive others totally, just as you’ve forgiven me. And help me to value others as much as you value me. Help me to extend grace to and express faith in the people around me. Help me to expect the best in others, and help me to endure the worst when it happens. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
In summary:
True love, as described in 1 Corinthians 13:7, is patient, faithful, hopeful, and enduring—and this is the same kind of love God shows us and calls us to extend to others. Jesus commands us to love others as he has loved us: unconditionally, forgiving fully, and recognizing their value. Living out this kind of love transforms relationships, requiring us to extend grace, believe in others, hope for the best, and persevere through difficulties. By surrendering my heart to God and allowing his love to fill and guide me, I can bring healing and renewal to even the most broken relationships.
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