You’re Inspiring

The Corinthians passage above is a pretty common one that you might be familiar with. You may have heard it read at weddings or seen it printed above the fireplace at your aunt’s house. But I want you to focus on a few key words in the text: love is kind. Kindness can look differently in different situations.

Maybe your friend who you haven’t spoken to in a while needs encouragement; then kindness might mean speaking or listening. Maybe your mom is tired after a long day, and kindness could mean offering to help with dinner (Philippians 2:4).

I often need to remind myself that being right is not as important as being kind. Jesus didn’t come to teach us how to prove that our point is valid or how to finally show someone they were wrong. Jesus taught us how to love.

Jesus had plenty of opportunities to prove His own power and divinity when He was being tempted in the wilderness (Mathew 4:1-11). But He didn’t. Jesus came to show how much God loves us and ultimately demonstrated that love in dying and rising again so that anyone who puts their trust in Him can be restored to relationship with God.

So next time you’re ready to jump into an argument, pause and ask yourself if winning this disagreement will get in the way of loving the person you’re arguing with. • Naomi Vroegop

• Can you think of a time when being right got in the way of love?

• In what ways do relationships have more value than winning arguments?

• It can be hard to prioritize the relationship when you don’t see eye to eye with someone. But as Christians, God empowers us through the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; Galatians 5:22-23). Ask Him right now to prepare you for tough conversations, to remind you what’s most important, and to give you creative strategies to love those who are different from you.

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (CSB)

Read Verses:

Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 1 Timothy 4:12; 1 Peter 4:10