How can we show our love?

As Christians, we are called to love one another.

But what does love look like, and how can we show it?

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul describes the characteristics of love. He describes love as patience, kindness, absence of jealousy and boasting, humility in our thoughts and actions, selflessness in our behavior and outlook.

This passage is an excellent reminder of what true love looks like.

Love is patient
Patience is an important part of loving others. We all make mistakes and sometimes need help or encouragement when we're going through difficult times. Patience helps us to be understanding and supportive of those we love. It also allows us to fully appreciate the good in people without having unrealistic expectations of them or ourselves.

Love is kindness
Showing kindness means first and foremost recognizing the value of other people's lives, and respecting their feelings. It means expressing gratitude for someone's achievements, offering words of encouragement when they're down, or simply being there for them in difficult times. Being caring also means taking care not to offend others by speaking harshly or judging them or their beliefs.

Love doesn't arouse envy
Envy is a desire to possess something that belongs to someone else, often something material that has monetary value, such as clothes, cars, houses, etc... Jealousy can also come into play when someone feels they deserve more attention than they receive from another person (or vice versa).
To combat this feeling in ourselves and those around us, we need to recognize our own worth and be grateful for what we have, rather than comparing ourselves to those who have more than we do.

By following the guidelines set out in Paul's letter to the Corinthians on what love looks like, we can learn how best to show our love for one another with patience, kindness and humility while avoiding envy and jealousy of our fathers or loved ones.
We need to remember that God's unconditional love is the ultimate example for all of us, whoever we are, so let's strive every day to make sure we're living out His will by loving one another as much as He does!

Amen!