Loving Our Children with a 1 Corinthians Love

1 Corinthians 13 is traditionally used at weddings. Rightly so, loving your spouse in a way that reflects Christ’s love for us is infinitely important. Loving our children with that same love is also critical to building a trusting relationship with them and pointing them to their Savior. So, let’s steal this chapter from weddings and study it from the perspective of mothering. How should we be loving our children?

1 Corinthians 13

“1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 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. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

After digging into this chapter and praying over it to hear from God directly, pulling out your study bible and some commentaries will be helpful to get at the meat of what love is. For even more perspective, read these verses in different translations too.

We want our children to eat their veggies because we love them and want them to be healthy. To see our children grow up to be big and strong is a goal that every loving parent has. Unfortunately, our kids don’t see the correlation between leafy greens and our love for them. That’s when 1 Corinthians 13 really kicks in. When our children aren’t cooperating and aren’t behaving how we’d like, it becomes even more important that our love for them is patient, kind, not easily angered, not rude, keeps no records of wrongs…and everything else on the list. We are the first example of Christ’s love that our kids will experience and believe it not, that love shines through at the dinner table. The prayers we say, the food we set in front of them, the interactions and conversations we have there, and how we end mealtimes (hopefully not with arguments and tears) are vital parts of the mission field for us.

Mealtimes can be tough at any stage of our children’s upbringing. Babies need spoon fed, toddlers are notorious picky eaters and food throwers, school age kids don’t have manners and are still picky, teens have better things to do (so they think) and it’s like pulling teeth to get them to talk. And a lot of them are still picky. Yet, each stage continues to offer valuable opportunities to share the gospel at the dinner table. And that is more important than eating our vegetables. Love your children, be patient with them, and know that one day your efforts will be rewarded.

Proverbs 22:6

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

This is a proverb, not a promise, but it’s encouraging to know that our words will be remembered as our children grow up. They make the choice whether or not to act on our teachings, but let’s fervently pray that our instruction becomes a garland to grace their heads and a chain to adorn their neck (Proverbs 1:8-9).

When we love our kids like Jesus loves them, we are great moms. Even if they don’t eat their veggies.

This is part of a series called The “My Kid Doesn’t Eat Veggies” devotional. Click here to read more of the series. Messy Tired Love devotionals connect everyday mom moments to the truth of the gospel. Learn more here.