1 Corinthians 13. It’s God’s perfect timing that we are reading 1 Corinthians 13 on Good Friday.

In the middle of a discussion of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul reminds us that our gifting (all our service to God) amounts to nothing if we do not have love. The greatest of these is love (13:13). Remember the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22? The very first fruit the Holy Spirit produces in our character is love… then joy, peace, patience, and so on. The presence of the Spirit within us allows us to supernaturally love people in a way that we would not normally do.

What does love look like?
Some things love is – Love is patient, kind, rejoices in truth, forbearing, full of hope, persevering, and eternal.
Some things love is not – Love is not envious, boastful, arrogant, rude, self-seeking, irritable, resentful, or gleeful about sin.

What does love look like? Elle Limebear wrote a song by that title in 2020 and the lyrics remind us that Jesus on the cross is the perfect picture of love: Listen here

I have seen what love looks like,
Brighter than the morning light,
Tender as the sweetest sound,
Yet can turn the tables upside down
Oh Lord, because of what I’ve done
My list of sin and shame,
I don’t deserve Your heart
But still – You love me completely
So much You gave Your life,
You offered it freely
A relentless sacrifice,
And I see scars in Your hands and feet,
Thorn crown You wore for me,
Forgiveness in Your eyes
This is what love,
This is what love looks like
This is what love looks like
Always patient, always kind
You never leave the lost behind
And even though I wander still
Oh, You chase me down, You always will
You love me completely

Do you feel, deep in your heart, this love that God has for you? Can you sit today and reflect on how much He really loves you and all He has done for you?

In your circle of influence, who needs more of this kind of unconditional love? Ask the Spirit to fill you with love like this so you can pour it out into the lives of those around you.