Surprised by the Appearances of Love
Why patience and kindness are the first marks of true love.
What does real love look like in action? Many people think of 1 Corinthians 13 as a sentimental poem, but the apostle Paul actually gives us a radically different picture. Instead of describing love with adjectives, he uses verbs—fifteen of them—all in the present tense. Love isn’t defined by what we feel; it’s defined by what we do.
In this message, Stephen Davey explains why Paul begins with two surprising verbs: “Love is patient” and “Love is kind.” These aren’t qualities that show up when life is easy or when people are agreeable. They are the marks of love when you’re irritated, wronged, or tempted to retaliate. Patience means choosing a long fuse rather than a quick temper. Kindness means returning good even when you’ve received harm.
These are not natural responses. They are supernatural fruits of the Spirit, produced in believers who surrender to Christ’s control. They demonstrate God’s own love—the love that was patient with us when we were sinners, and kind to us when we least deserved it.
Discover how patience and kindness are not just admirable traits, but powerful evidence of God’s Spirit at work in you. Learn how true love surprises the world by showing up where it’s least expected.