Am I a Kinder Person Than I Was a Year Ago?

This was a question I asked my wife, Janan, at the end of 2024.

I use the word kindness because of all the attributes of love Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 13, kindness is probably the one I struggle with the most. Left to my own devices, I’m an introvert who is largely content to do my own thing. It’s something I’ve worked hard to push against, but I still feel the pull.

This is why it’s important for me to think about Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13, where he writes:

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, ⁵ is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. ⁶ Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 

Paul’s point is that love isn’t one thing. It’s an all-encompassing mindset that seeks to see life from the vantage point of others and desire their best interests.

Unfortunately, as David Brooks writes, “The number one reason people don’t see others is that they are too self-centered to try.”[1] Those who do recognize love isn’t static. It’s not a hill to climb or an art to master. It’s dynamic and immensely challenging. “Love is never stationary,” Bob Goff writes, “In the end, love doesn’t just keep thinking about it or keep planning for it. Simply put: love does.”[2]

So, how do we grow in our love? How do we become kinder, more patient, and less arrogant? Here is the answer.