Patient and Kind

Beginning with 1 Corinthians 13:4, Paul presents a series of short descriptions of love. Under the apostle’s inspired pen, love is personified as a person who behaves in a way all Christians should emulate. Of course, the only person who truly manifests the love described in chapter 13 is Jesus Christ. In a very real sense, we are being called here to follow in the way of our Lord and Savior. Thus, 1 Corinthians 13 reveals unto us those areas in which we yet need to grow in our sanctification, the process of becoming more like Christ. There may be no better “measuring rod” in all of Scripture.

“Love suffers long,” Paul writes. He is not saying that love necessarily means lengthy suffering, but that it endures much, that it is patient. The trait of long-suffering is frequently assigned to God in Scripture, which describes Him as extremely patient with His sinful creatures, bearing with their rejection and rebellion. This trait is also listed as one of the nine “fruits” the Holy Spirit is forming in all believers (Gal. 5:22–23). Clearly, God desires that we should emulate Him by patiently enduring wrongs perpetrated against us. Of course, we are not naturally disposed to do this—we are “short-suffering” by nature. When we are wronged, we want our revenge. Even as Christians, we want to know the point at which we can turn off our patience and begin extracting vengeance (Matt. 18:21ff). But as Jesus makes clear in that passage, there is no such point. We must bear with unfair and dishonest dealings, fraud, deceit, deception, broken promises, slanders, false accusations, and more, always leaving vengeance in God’s hands (Rom. 12:19).

Paul’s subsequent description of love—“kind”—illustrates the attitude with which we are to react to those who mistreat us. Not only are we not to avenge ourselves, we are to show kindness to them. We both bear unkindness and show kindness in return. Jesus certainly behaved in this way, for having endured all the mistreatment of His Passion without opening His mouth, He then prayed from the depths of His suffering that God might forgive those who were executing Him. This is kindness, the art of seeking the best for another, whether it be a dearly loved friend or relative, or an enemy who has just delivered an insult. Christians are called to love in this way.