1 Corinthians 13:5

Paul continues his portrait of love with four more traits, each describing how love treats other people. Love "doth not behave itself unseemly" -- it acts with courtesy and propriety rather than rudeness. It "seeketh not her own" -- it is not self-centered, refusing to insist on its own way at others' expense. It "is not easily provoked" -- it does not flare into irritation or anger. And it "thinketh no evil" -- it does not keep a record of wrongs or harbor suspicion.

These are not abstract ideals but concrete behaviors that expose how love operates in daily relationships. The phrase "seeketh not her own" strikes at the heart of the Corinthians' problem -- their gifts and freedoms were being used selfishly. Love reverses that instinct, looking to the good of others rather than personal advantage. "Thinketh no evil" can mean love keeps no account of injuries; it does not nurse grudges or tally offenses for later use. Together these traits paint love as something active and disciplined, governing temper, speech, and memory. Such love is costly because it constantly chooses the other person over the self. Yet this is precisely the love Paul holds up as the more excellent way -- not a warm feeling, but a settled, gracious way of treating people that resists rudeness, selfishness, anger, and resentment.