Qualities of True Love

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (1 Corinthians 13:4)

Thoughts: What love is like this?  No human love is like this.  This is idyllic love. This is God's unconditional love.  Our love is to imitate this love.  This is TRUE LOVE. 
    Love is patient.  Love can wait.  Love can put up with our idiosyncrasies.  If you love someone you can be patient with them.  God is patient with us.  He does not zap us when we mess up- but waits and urges us to come back to Him.
     Love is kind.  Love goes the extra mile.  Love goes out of the way.  Love has mercy and soft-heartedness.
     Love does not envy.  Love does not seek to compete with the one who is loved.  Love does not wish to take anything away from the one who is loved, but is generous and sacrificial to the one who is loved.  God is not envious of us- but sacrifices Himself for us.
     Love does not boast.  Love does not seek to brag to get attention.  Love focuses on the other person- not wanting attention for oneself.
     Love is not proud.  Humility and love go together.  Being willing to give up oneself for the loved one- not holding anything back is a quality of true love.  
     If we are patient, kind, considerate, humble we are on the path to love.

Prayer: Lord of love, make me more loving- more like you.

A good exercise is to ask- "Am I patient? Am I kind?  Am I not envious?  Am I not boastful?  Am I not proud?"  Or, you could put your name where the word "love" is.  Thus: ____ is patient; ___ is kind...