Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. —1 Corinthians 13:6-7.
Life as a follower of Jesus is always about love — loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:36-40), doing the things Paul lists here — not delighting in evil, rejoicing with the truth, protecting, trusting, hoping, and persevering always! Living this always loving way in a fallen world full of self-centered people is a very tough and tall order and sometimes very tough work. Only God is always. But then Christians are fueled to this always kind of love through the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us that “The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). No wonder this love, true love, Christian love, loving like Jesus is always love — it is God’s love, demonstrated by Jesus’ sacrifice, and now empowered through us by the Holy Spirit to be delivered to others by grace.