What True Love Looks Like

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:7

There is no clearer showcase of your character than your relationships—the way you treat others and expect them to treat you. And the way you handle relationships, particularly your close ones, will impact every other area of your life in one way or another.

I think a lot of people are confused about relationships, especially marriage. Some people seek to dominate the relationship, while others are almost completely passive. And it’s hard to blame this generation for those extremes because we haven’t had the best role models. Many moms and dads either weren’t around or didn’t demonstrate how to truly love someone else. Society hasn’t taken up the slack, putting out movies and TV shows that focus more on erotic passion than on emotional and spiritual love.

And those who look to the church to clear up the confusion are often disappointed, finding either misinterpretations of Scripture that overemphasize “head of household” control or misinterpretations of Christ that depict Him as passive and weak and expecting us to be that way too. Good examples of true, sacrificial love that builds others up are hard to find.

According to 1 Corinthians 13, love means doing everything for someone else’s benefit. That doesn’t mean passively giving in to the other person’s every wish or desire, and it obviously doesn’t mean dominating a relationship. It means making every decision with the other person’s well-being in mind. Whether in marriage, in other family relationships, or among friends, the principle is the same. Love seeks to strengthen and benefit others.

Be active in the lives of others—your spouse, your family members, and your friends. Talk to them and, more important, listen to them. Invest your time and your attention. Be interested in them, be supportive, and be involved. Real love changes lives—including yours.

Uncommon Key > Don’t just show love to others. Show Christ’s kind of love—sacrificial, others-centered, and enduring—by investing your life in other people’s well-being.

From the book