The Blueprint for Godly Love

Recent events in my life have lead me to study the blueprint of God's love which can be found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  My recent study lead me to conclude that my understanding of love to this point in my life has been very worldly.  Love on the surfaces seems simple to understand but I was shocked to learn that God's love contains so many different characteristics we often overlook.  This experience of redefining love biblically will allow me to show love to others better in the future and has taught me just how significant and important God's love for me is.  

Please enjoy reading about what love is and isn't along with my notes and research.

Here is a breakdown of the 16 characteristics of Love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

1. Love is long-suffering.
- patience with endurance
- the ability to hold back and persevere through all forms of temptations and trials while trusting in God. 
- the ability to endure in giving love, even when we may feel alone, hurt, or frustrated.
2. Love is kind.
- Kindness is selfless, compassionate, merciful and forgiving.
3. Love does not envy.
- a destructive emotion that can cause us to do things we would not normally do
- jealous; a feeling of discontent and resentment based on someone else's possessions, abilities, or status
- James 3:14-16 - man's wisdom is tainted by envy and becomes earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 
4. Love does not boast.
- to brag on oneself or point inward, magnifying ones accomplishments
- Love turns the perspective outward and magnifies others
5. Love is not proud.
- pride is deceptive, as it always negotiates for its own benefit.
- thinking too highly of oneself; conceited, arrogant, or overconfident
6. Love does not dishonor others.
- dishonor is a way in which we treat people rudely
- disrespect or disregard someone,  despise or belittle someone, or to treat someone as nobody or as unimportant
7. Love is not self-seeking.
- does not seek the things of itself and does not insist on its own way
- it is never loving for us to argue for or defend (insist on) the accuracy of our own perspective or conviction, should always look to God's way
- the opposite of self-seeking is God-seeking
8. Love is not easily angered.
- not easily irritated or frustrated, provoked, or overly sensitive to getting upset because of something someone says or does
- Love is not embittered or enraged by abuse, wrong, insult, or injury.
9. Love keeps no record of wrongs.
- not resentful
- you cannot think well of someone and at the same time hold the bad things they may have done in the past against them like a register of unpaid debts.
- opens the door for Satan to torment you by reminding you about these incidents in great detail.
- opens the door for hatred
10. Love does not delight in evil.
- finds no pleasure in sin, wrongdoing, or injustice
11. Love rejoices with the truth.
- feel or show joy, or delight in our salvation
- stop rejoicing in wrongdoing
12. Love always protects.
- defense; shelter from evil
13. Love always trusts.
- Gives grace for past mistakes
- Love does not expect the worst in every relationship
14. Love always hopes. 
- believing good things will happen with faith
- Love hopes because it knows the end of the story, for heaven is its destiny.
- It is hopeful because its hope is in the Lord
15. Love always perseveres.
- it never gives up
- It continues on through problems, misunderstandings, and uncertainty
16. Love never fails. 
- its eternal, never ending, everlasting
- it doesn't break down or run out