“Love Never Fails” (1 Cor. 13:8)

 “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…”

-1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a

While visiting a church I noticed the pastor on Sunday morning interacting with his family before he was about to preach. There was something I observed which really struck me. As he walked with his toddler son holding his hand, escorting little guy to his Sunday school class, this over six foot tall pastor went at his son’s pace.

So often I’ve seen…

• parents hurrying up their kids,
• parents pulling their kids along,
• parents walking ahead of their kids while a child tries to keep up.

This pastor walked slowly and at his son’s pace.

Do you find yourself going at your child’s pace or trying to speed them up to go at yours?

How about your spouse? Are you accepting who they are now? Or are you trying to hurry them up to be where you want them to be?

Going at a loved one’s pace illustrates love.

I know for me, there was a time I quietly struggled with an area of my husband’s life. I wanted him to eat more like me, exercise more like me, walk more like me, drink more water like me, and be more like me. Somehow I knew nagging him wouldn’t do any good. But when I watched him eating ice cream at night, I was jealous, and secretly wished he wouldn’t.

“Love is kind and not jealous.”

“Love is patient.”

“Does not brag.”

I was way too close to not acting in a loving way. 

Instead of bugging him I prayed.

“Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”

-Mark 11:24

Then, one day he came home with this giant container—he said he’d be drinking this giant container full of water daily. Hmmm. Okay.

He upped our workouts.

He started walking with me.

He stopped eating the ice cream.

He focused on his health and getting in better shape.

This has become a habit for him and I am so thrilled.

But here’s my point…

He went at his own pace.

Love encourages loved ones while on their own path as they go at their own pace.

Patience says, I love you.

Remember to choose love.

“Love never fails.”

Lucille Williams is the author of “From Me to We” and “The Intimacy You Crave: Straight Talk about Sex and Pancakes”   order a copy today to enhance your marriage. Subscribe to LuSays for weekly encouragement.