Love in the First Reply
Written for Bible Journey Plan. Our editorial standards.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 KJV
The first reply can set the direction of an evening. A simple request arrives while we are busy, and irritation answers before thought catches up. We may later explain that we did not mean anything by it. The other person still heard the words.
Paul describes love as patient and kind. It does not make its own way the center of every interaction. Those truths are needed in the church, and they have immediate work to do in a marriage.
Slow the first answer enough to let love have a voice. If you cannot handle the request now, say when you can. If the timing is difficult, explain without treating your spouse as a nuisance. Patience does not require agreeing to everything. It does require remembering who is speaking to you. The person asking about the bin, the calendar, or the missing keys is someone you promised to cherish. Ordinary replies are one place that promise becomes audible.
Keep the passage in context
Paul describes charity in a church troubled by pride and rivalry over spiritual gifts. The description applies to marriage, but its original concern includes the whole fellowship of believers.
Read further: 1 Corinthians 13 in the King James Bible.