Jimbo's Jots

If love is a way of being (Part 1) and a discipline we practice (Part 2), Part 3 brings us to what tests it most: endurance.

In First Epistle to the Corinthians 13:7–8, Paul writes:

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

These words sound beautiful — until love becomes costly.

Pastorally, Paul is describing covenantal love: the kind that remains when feelings fluctuate and circumstances strain. Therapeutically, he is describing resilience — the capacity to stay emotionally present without hardening.

“Love bears all things” does not mean tolerating harm. It means love does not collapse at the first sign of difficulty. It absorbs frustration without immediately retaliating or withdrawing.

“Love believes all things” is not naïveté; it is choosing trust over suspicion. Many relationships slowly erode when doubt becomes the default posture. Love resists that drift.

“Love hopes all things” refuses to reduce someone to their worst moment. It leaves room for growth. It believes that change is possible because God is still at work in imperfect people.

And “love endures all things” means staying engaged when it would be easier to shut down. When we are hurt, our instinct is often self-protection — withdrawal, numbness, indifference. Enduring love resists that impulse. It chooses repair over retreat.

“Love never fails” does not mean relationships never struggle. It means love does not abandon its nature. It continues moving toward truth, hope, and reconciliation.

This kind of love is not dramatic. It is steady. It returns after disappointment. It keeps the conversation open. It remains.

To learn to love well is to learn to stay — not perfectly, but faithfully.

Be blessed! Be a blessing!!