Biblical love in marriage shows us how love acts with patience, kindness, humility, and endurance. If you have ever attended a wedding, you have probably heard the Apostle Paul’s beautiful description of love. However, this passage offers more than familiar words for a ceremony. In that passage, Paul shows us what love does and what love refuses to do.
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
What 1 Corinthians 13 Love Does
Therefore, when we turn Paul’s passage into a list of actions, we see more clearly how love expresses itself in a relationship. In other words, love becomes easier to recognize when we look at what it practices and what it avoids.
What Love Does:
- Be patient and kind.
- Remain steadfast through every trial and difficulty.
- Believe, hope, and persevere.
- Rejoice in what is good and true.
- Share life with others in love.
What Love Does Not Do:
- It is not envious, jealous, or self-important.
- It is not boastful, arrogant, or rude.
- It does not insist on its own way.
- It is not quick-tempered, irritable, or resentful.
- It does not rejoice in wrongdoing.
Agape Love as Charity
First, 1 Corinthians 13 reveals love as charity. Specifically, the Greek word for this kind of love is Agape—a self-giving, sacrificial love that reflects life with God and shapes how we live with one another.
In addition, Agape stands as the highest expression of love, yet it also includes other beautiful gifts, such as Eros, often expressed in romantic affection, and Phila, shown through faithful friendship and deep loyalty.
Biblical Love in Marriage
Eventually, I met my wife in high school in 1979 and married her in 1986. Since then, I have experienced many of the do’s and don’ts above, and each season has taught me something about love. As a result, people often ask the secret to a lasting marriage. Simply put, I try to live by what I call the 3 C’s:
- Communicate honestly and openly.
- Compromise with humility and grace.
- Concede when needed for the good of the relationship.
Biblical Love in Marriage That Endures
In marriage, Agape becomes more than a feeling. Instead, it becomes a steady, mature love. Likewise, affection and friendship nurture it. Meanwhile, faith sustains it. Day by day, daily choices express it as we seek to bless one another. Although we married young by today’s standards, our love has endured and grown over time. Ultimately, Paul’s words still ring true: “Love never ends.”
Reflection: How can biblical love shape the way you communicate, compromise, and show grace in your closest relationships this week?