At first glance, this next characteristic of love might leave the impression that those who care about others must learn to be gullible or naive. That was not Paul's point. Neither was he saying that love always gives others the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes a loving teacher, coach, counselor, or friend must be "unbelieving" in order to get to the bottom of a matter.
No, Paul was not saying that love is blindly accepting of what others say. Rather it seems he was celebrating the foundational relationship between faith and love. First Corinthians 13 reminds us that real love is fueled by our faith in God. Real love grows and is sustained by faith as we believe "all things" God tells us about Himself, about ourselves, and about one another.
If we doubt what God says about His love for us, we will lose a strong incentive for loving one another. If we doubt God's assurance that He is patient and kind to us, we will not be as apt to be patient and kind with one another. If we doubt that God is able to provide for our needs, we will not be as inclined to be generous with others.
The truth that "love believes all things" is central to our understanding of Christlike love. Real love is rooted and grounded in faith. Faith, in turn, is rooted and grounded in what God has said in His Word.
Without faith in God, love quits and dies. Unless we continue to "believe all things" God has said, our love will not survive the disappointments, rejections, and insults of life. Unless we build our love firmly on the Word of God, love will throw in the towel. Only by faith in God can love remain strong.
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