Love is Patient and Kind
A Phrase to Live By
Some biblical phrases are worth building a life around. “The Lord is My Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1) or “God loved us and sent His Son” (1 John 4:10) come to mind. Because salvation in Christ is so central, verses like John 3:16 or Romans 5:8 have become life-defining for many. Others find purpose and direction in phrases like, “Do all to the glory of God” or “Preach the Word!”
For the Apostle Paul, just the word love forms the more excellent way he offers to a troubled Corinthian congregation. More than that, love is the aim of his instruction (1 Tim 1:5), the fulfillment of the law (Galatians 5:14), and it binds all other good things together (Col 3:14).
At its core, love is wanting and working towards another’s well-being. You want and do good things for people you love. Love, then, is the opposite of selfishness, reflecting God’s generous and gracious nature (1 John 4:16). If you want to know what love looks like, in other words, look at what God is like and what God has done.
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul describes God’s love qualitatively. The first couplet is glorious.
“Love is Patient”
The various forms of the Greek word for patience (makrothymia) are always compound words. “Makro” is a familiar-sounding word, and it means long — that’s not surprising, “Macro” in English means something similar. “Thymia” or “Thymos” is a famous word for fury, wrath, anger, rage, or passion--intense desire. Together they form the word often translated as “Long-Suffering” or “slow to anger.” This is the word used in the Greek Old Testament at Exodus 34:6.
“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” (Exodus 34:6, ESV)
If God is love, and God is slow to anger, then it’s not hard to piece together that love is patient.
The more excellent way practices emotional self-control without retaliation. Forbearing, long-suffering, enduring patience is, for Paul, the first thing worth saying about love to the divided Corinthians.
Don’t blow up. Don’t lash out. Overlook an offense. Be slow to anger.
“Love is Kind”
Most English translations omit Paul’s repetition for smoother sound. But in the original Greek, Paul says something more like, “The love does patience, kindness, does the love,” to emphasize that kindness is as equally central to love as patience is. They are parallel and complementary virtues, and God is rich in both.
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4, ESV)
The ancient forerunners of the word translated “kindness” meant “useful” or even “favorable,” like food or drink, or having the right tool at the right time. (Silva, Moisés, NIDNTTE). So, in an ethical context, it means kindness. Wishing or wanting good or favorable things for another. That’s why translators often use “goodness.”
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,” (Titus 3:4–5, ESV) | “You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.” (Psalm 119:68, ESV)
Kindness, then, is an active disposition of heart and hands to do good. It’s a positive virtue that seeks others’ good above one’s own.
Do good to others. Put on compassionate hearts and kindness. Trust in the Lord and do good.
Putting them together
While Paul doesn’t say this explicitly, a little reflection reveals that patience and kindness are more than similar; they are also complementary. They form a complete picture of loving relationships. Patience endures when others are unkind (Proverbs 19:11); kindness softens impatient hearts. (Proverbs 15:1). Each restores when the other fails, and often one enables the other.
and lack the patience to endure them. And, few are truly patient if they seldom serve others. To put it yet another way, anybody who loses their patience with a brother often does so over a real or imagined unkindness in them.
These twin virtues of love paint a godly picture to build your life around. Examine your next conflict through this lens and leverage patience and kindness to connect with another sinner like yourself.
After all, Jesus first reconciled you to God through His patience and kindness.
“And count the patience of our Lord as salvation…” (2 Peter 3:15, ESV) ”The immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith.” (Ephesians 2:7–8, ESV)