Those of us who are mothers know the sacrificial nature of mother-love. As I watch Birgitta relate to her 3-day-old infant Emerald, I’m reminded again of this potent emotion and what it looks like. For a 22 year old single mom, as for most new moms, it translates to a happy willingness to suffer for her child: inconvenience, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, lack of a shower, and always putting self last. Birgitta’s love for her little girl is a 1 Corinthians 13 love for sure.

From J. B. Phillips New Testament translation, her love…

• is slow to lose patience (i.e. never)
• looks for a way to be constructive (and how to handle Emerald best)
• is not possessive (willingly shares Emerald with the rest of us)
• isn’t anxious to impress (by bragging)
• doesn’t have an inflated idea of her own importance (never complaining about fatigue or lack of time for herself)
• has good manners (treats her little one with respect and kindness)
• does not pursue selfish advantage (feeds her first)
• isn’t touchy (tries to understand the need behind baby’s fussing)
• doesn’t keep account of evil (by dismissing the criticisms of others)
• is glad when truth prevails (and thankful when others see her child as the blessing she is)
• knows no limit to its endurance (smiles at Emerald, despite exhaustion)
• knows no end to its trust (being sure God will help her to be a good mom)
• knows no fading of its hope (expecting the best of her mother-daughter relationship)
• can outlast anything! (and never fade)

Acting this way toward Emerald seems easy for Birgitta. It’s what she wants to do more than anything else. But 1 Corinthians 13 wasn’t meant just for new moms, and using it in other contexts isn’t always that easy. God’s intention is for us to act in the above ways in all circumstances and toward all people.

In other words, he wants us to sacrificially love everyone. That includes those who rub us the wrong way or bring us grief and even those we’d classify as our enemies, which is a great deal more difficult than loving a newborn. First Corinthians 13 also tells us that no matter what accomplishments we make in life, no matter how righteous our attitudes or deeds, if our M.O. isn’t love we’ve done nothing worthy of praise.

Those are strong words we’ll spend a lifetime trying to live up to. But while we’re trying, I know one new mom and baby who might be a powerful inspiration.

“Love is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.” (1 Corinthians 13:8)