“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up” (1 Corinthians 13:4, NKJV). On a day full of cards and flowers, it’s worth remembering that Scripture’s most famous description of love isn’t about romance at all. It’s about character.
Suffers long, meaning patient, willing to endure without giving up. Kind, meaning actively good toward the other person, not just tolerant of them. This is a far more demanding definition than the feeling most of us associate with the word.
Notice what’s absent from love as described here: envy, self-promotion, pride. This is a love turned outward, not a love that uses another person to feel good about itself.
Whoever you’re celebrating today, this verse is a good measure to hold up against the relationship. Not does it feel romantic, but does it look like this.