Friday, April 17, 2026
Bible in a Year: Job 9-10 | Matthew 7
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Growing up, I saw these verses primarily as “wedding verses,” believing they were for marriage. I hardly gave them a second thought, assuming God included them in the Bible just for married couples. Since they didn’t apply to me, I quickly brushed them aside.
As I've grown and learned more about God’s love for us, my perspective has changed. The words in these verses aren’t just for wedding days; they’re for each of us, every day, in every relationship.
It’s easy to dismiss certain scripture when we feel like it doesn't apply to us - but I was mistaken. Knowing now what I didn't know then … I realize that if I had kept these verses close to my heart in my relationships, I could have avoided unnecessary arguments and some poor choices.
Friends, knowing this truth is only the beginning. The real journey starts when it shapes how we love the people around us.
Thankfully, we don’t have to figure out how to love like this alone! God loves us deeply and we have the perfect example of how to love through Jesus. He embodied patience, kindness, and forgiveness - never giving up on us or keeping records of our wrongs.
When we show this kind of unwavering love to those around us, we can impact hearts in ways we may never fully realize. And the bonus in showing this love is that we point them toward the life-changing adventure of following the One whose perfect love never stops reaching for them.
Imagine the impact it could make if we were all just a little more like Jesus toward others. We might see a new light in our communities, workplaces, friendships, and yes, in our marriages!
Show love to someone today. Keep enduring through every circumstance, keep loving, and let your actions reveal who Jesus is.
Don’t worry, we aren’t expected to do this perfectly. But we can prayerfully keep trying, using what we know to be true about Jesus’ love for us as our reminder.
Questions:
How will you model this kind of love in your relationships this week? Or even to complete strangers?
Next Steps:
Review your score for the relational domain of the Your Journey assessment. Look at the strengths and opportunities that are specifically listed there for you. Spend time journaling and being prayerful, using Scripture to move your relationships forward and loving others in a 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 kind of way.
***If you haven’t taken the Your Journey assessment, I encourage you to try it out now! You can find it on the “More” tab on the CedarCreek app.
Prayer:
God, thank you for the way you love us. Teach us to receive that love deeply, not just as something we know, but something that transforms us. Shape our hearts to reflect your love to others. Help us to love in a way that mirrors 1 Corinthians 13, choosing compassion again and again. I pray today that your love flows through us in every word, every action, every moment. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Ephesians 1:5
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
This post was written by Lori Tuckerman, Director of Content at CedarCreek.