Often love is thought of in its many positive manifestations that warm the heart. Thankfully, these are blessed realities. But there is a side of love that is sometimes overlooked. Love is also demonstrated through suffering.
In the beautiful description of love that Paul lays out in I Corinthians 13, there is a statement that is often misunderstood: “Charity suffereth long” (I Cor. 13:4). When we read the words love suffers long, we often focus on the endurance aspect long and miss the greater emphasis found in the verb suffers. The text says love suffers.
My father used to explain that it was difficult for the angels to understand God’s love until God demonstrated His love to sinners through Christ’s death (Rom. 5:8). Love cannot be fully manifested until it suffers. Suffering allows for love to be demonstrated in far greater depth of demonstration than any other way.
We are urged to “grieve not the Holy Spirit” (Eph. 4:30). When we ignore the Spirit and choose sin, we pain the Spirit because love suffers. In human relationships when someone you love spurns your love, it hurts because love suffers. The pain of the hurt reveals the love that is suffering.
Though love suffers and sometimes suffers long, there is a deep manifestation of love in that very suffering that would not be manifested any other way.
John Van Gelderen
Post Author
