A Mother’s Promise

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”

Think

As a parent, there are days when everything seems to go wrong. The laundry detergent causes rashes, I’m perpetually late for pickups, and the litany of daily parenting mishaps goes on and on. I raise my voice too often, hand out too many chores, and the guilt piles up. Feeling overwhelmed and defeated becomes a regular state of being. It’s exhausting and often leaves us turning to God for guidance in navigating the choppy waters of parenthood.

In 1 Corinthians 13, we find a beautiful description of love. It says love—and by extension, mothers—should be patient, kind, and not easily angered. It tells us that love does not keep a record of wrongs and always perseveres. But the line that always catches in my throat is “Love never fails.” As humans, especially as parents, we are almost guaranteed to fail at some point. We can't always embody this perfect description of love, can we?

But here’s where a deeper truth comforts us: We will stumble and miss the mark. We will make mistakes – like disciplining when we should have offered grace or staying silent when we should have spoken up. Our human frailties make it impossible to live up to the ideal of never-failing love. Yet, this isn’t the end of the story. When we lean into the grace of God and partner with Jesus, his perfect love comes into play—love that is powerful enough to cover our sins. He will help us parent!

So, as a parent, when I reflect on the love that 1 Corinthians 13 describes, I find a beacon of hope. This divine guidance doesn’t set us up for failure but offers a foundation on which to build our efforts. It's not about achieving perfection through our own strength but about striving to mirror Christ's love in our everyday actions. In partnering with him, we find the strength to persevere through the missteps and the grace to grow beyond them. With Jesus, this parenting journey transforms into an opportunity to practice a love that truly can endure, a love that doesn’t fail, a love that can build disciples who will revolutionize the world for God.

Apply

Focus on one attribute of love today (kind, patient, etc). Ask God to help you apply it with your interactions in your family and elsewhere today.

Pray

Lord, I am often overwhelmed by the weight of parenting. I am grateful for your word in 1 Corinthians 13, which not only sets the standard for love but gives me hope and guidance. Teach me to not be easily angered and to rejoice in truth, always protecting, always trusting, always hoping, and always persevering in every situation I face. Give me the wisdom and strength to act with grace and emulate you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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