If you have ever attended a wedding, chances are you have heard the Apostle Paul’s beautiful description of love:
“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
By turning Paul’s passage into a list of actions, we can see more clearly how love is expressed in a relationship.
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.
Love as Charity:
1 Corinthians 13 reveals love as charity. The Greek word for this kind of love is Agape—a self-giving, sacrificial love that reflects the fullness of life with God and shapes how we live with one another.
Agape is the highest expression of love, and within it we also see other beautiful gifts of love, such as Eros, often expressed in romantic affection, and Phila, shown through faithful friendship and deep loyalty.
The 3 C’s for a Lasting Marriage
I met my wife in high school in 1979 and married her in 1986. Over the years, I have experienced many of the do’s and don’ts above and have learned through all seasons of love. 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.
In marriage, Agape is more than a feeling. It is a steady, mature love—nurtured by affection and friendship, sustained by faith, and expressed in daily choices that seek to bless one’s spouse. Though we married young by today’s standards, our love has endured and grown over time. As Paul beautifully reminds us, “Love never ends.”