The need to love and be loved is one of the most decisive impulses created in us at birth. 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the Bible’s most significant chapters ever written on this subject.
1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Love
This chapter captures the essence of our shared human experience: the deep and universal longing to love and be loved. At the heart of so many of our struggles lies this profound truth. Reflecting on my frailties, I see a common thread—either I haven’t loved enough or felt unloved. Our ego, insecurities, self-esteem, and self-image are all rooted in one pivotal question: How do we perceive the love in our lives?
John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
I yearn for that kind of love. A love so boundless that I would give my life for it. A love that surrounds, protects, fulfills, and sustains me. I want it to consume me—to be overwhelming, awe-inspiring, even terrifying in its power. I want it to be extraordinary. And I long for it because that is how God created us to be: vessels for this incredible, life-altering love.
Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul. – Augustine
He Loved First
1 John 4:19: “We love because He first loved us.”
These seven simple words hold staggering power. God’s love is our foundation, yet I falter when faced with the messiness of human relationships. People are flawed—they say, think, and do things that can be hurtful. They don’t always love us in the way we desire or expect. But isn’t that how I am to God? Flawed, unpredictable, and imperfect—yet fully and unconditionally loved by Him.
Romans 8:38-39: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This truth should anchor my heart. Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. Yet, why do I still wrestle with feelings of isolation or struggle to love others freely?
The answer lies in our broken world. We live in a fallen creation, surrounded by people who often don’t know Christ or understand the trustworthy source of love. The world distorts God’s perfect love into something transactional and shallow. It’s no wonder so many feel unfulfilled.
But even in my humanity, even when I feel unloved, the way forward is not to focus on the love I receive but on the love I give. I find joy when I love others—even those who do not reciprocate or deserve it. Through loving others, I feel the warmth of love in my heart.
2 Thessalonians 3:5: “May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.”
In loving others, I reflect on the very nature of God. Love isn’t easy, but it is always worth it. In giving love, we touch the divine and discover our true purpose.
Is adversity part of God’s plan for your life? That is both a scary and humbling thought. First, I don’t believe God necessarily brings adversity upon us. It is not in His nature. But He does allow our actions and those inherent in a broken world to affect us adversely. I believe He allows this because we need direction and guidance that can not be achieved through prosperity. We will not modify our behavior if we do not see the natural outcome from behavior contrary to God’s teaching.
Proclaiming hope and love in a season of grace is one of our most critical missions as Christians. This Christmas season can be highly stressful for many people.
You are right where God meant you to be. In darker moments, that is hard to comprehend; in lighter moments, we forget it is not serendipitous. 
Trusting in God’s plan when the future is unknown and incredibly important, takes not just faith but courage. In the chaos of life, it’s easy to feel lost, like I’m stumbling around in the dark, searching for direction. The world constantly demands that I have everything figured out—my career, relationships, and future. I feel pressure to know what’s next and plan every step meticulously, and yet, the more I try to control things, the more uncertain I become. I wonder, am I truly following the right path or just wandering aimlessly, hoping for the best?
Can we find true purpose and meaning through aspiration, not occupation? In today’s world, people often associate their identity with their careers or vocations, believing that their worth and purpose are tied to what they do for a living. However, Christianity offers a different perspective: true purpose and meaning come not from occupation but from godly aspiration—seeking to live out God’s calling and aligning our lives with His will.
The scene of the crime is in your mind. What misdeed we discuss doesn’t matter; human behavior starts with a thought. Given the fertilizer of attention, that thought grows into a preoccupation, which in turn bears fruit.
Each of us is a double-knotted thread in God’s tapestry of life. In His greatness, He died for our past, present, and future sins. From sinful man, He created a new creation free of sin. But that new creation lives in a fallen and sinful world. He knew this when He created all our existence. It was done with a plan in mind.
Cascading decisions rule our lives. Millions of people make millions of everyday decisions in millions of places, causing a cascade that eventually affects us. The overseas workers can make the products we bring into our homes. Their decision every morning to work hard or blow it off can eventually affect us. People’s interactions with significant others, friends, family, or co-workers affect how they go about their lives and may encroach on our lives. Product developers in companies worldwide make decisions every day that eventually seep into our existence. People we never see, talk with, or know, make decisions that eventually cause difficulties.