“Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 (GW)
The same love God offers to me, he wants me to offer to everyone else. It’s not an option or a suggestion. It’s a command: “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 accept them completely, love them unconditionally, forgive them totally, and consider them extremely valuable.
Loving others in this way will transform my 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. That’s what God expects 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 love expresses faith. The people in my life should know that, even if things are strained between us, I will never stop believing in them.
“Love . . . never stops hoping.” That means love expects the best. Are I expecting the best in my marriage, with my daughter, grandsons, or with my coworkers? Or have I settled for less than the best? Have I become pessimistic or cynical when it comes to my relationships?
“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.”
If I want to start loving the people God has placed in my life even better, I can say “Dear God, I admit that I’ve sometimes 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! So please begin by changing me.
“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 when the worst happens, help me to endure it and to keep on loving them. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
In summary:
God calls me to love others with the same relentless, grace-filled love He shows me—patient, faithful, hopeful, and enduring. According to 1 Corinthians 13:7, true love never gives up, never loses faith, never stops hoping, and never quits—and this is exactly how God loves me. As a follower of Christ, I'm commanded to extend that same love to everyone, whether I like them or not: accepting completely, loving unconditionally, forgiving totally, and valuing deeply. When I embrace this kind of love, it transforms my relationships, beginning with a prayer for God to change my own heart so I can love others as He loves me.
When I let God transform my heart, I can extend grace, endure in love, and build relationships that reflect His unconditional love.
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