Find factcheck, image, book, and usage of quote – If we love, we shall serve; if we love, we shall think kindly; if we love, we shall forgive
It’s a powerful sequence. This quote argues that love isn’t a passive feeling but an active, generative force that compels us to act with kindness, service, and forgiveness.
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Meaning
This is about love as an engine for action. It’s not what love is, but what love does.
Explanation
Most of us get love backwards. We think it’s this warm, fuzzy feeling that might, maybe, lead to good actions if we’re feeling up to it. Drummond flips the script entirely. He’s saying that genuine, authentic love, the real stuff, isn’t a noun. It’s a verb. It’s an energy that must express itself. The service, the kind thoughts, the forgiveness… these aren’t optional extras. They are the inevitable, tangible proof that love is actually present. It’s like a fire that has to give off heat. If there’s no heat, you have to question if there’s really a fire at all. The structure is brilliant, too, it’s a causal chain. Love is the cause; everything else is the non-negotiable effect.
Summary
| Category | Love (13) |
|---|---|
| Topics | forgiveness (9), kindness (7), service (11) |
| Style | biblical (3) |
| Mood | devotional (3) |
Origin & Factcheck
| Author | Henry Drummond (4) |
|---|---|
| Book | The Greatest Thing in the World (4) |
Quotation Source:
| If we love, we shall serve; if we love, we shall think kindly; if we love, we shall forgive |
| Publication Year: 1874 (UK); ISBN: 978-1-59052-477-4; Latest Edition: Random House Spiritual Classics 2002; 64 pages. |
| Approximate page 77, Section: On Serving Through Love |
Context
This quote isn’t floating in a vacuum. In the book, Drummond is doing a deep, line-by-line analysis of the Love Chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. He’s breaking down what Paul describes as the more excellent way. So when Drummond lists these actions, serve, think kindly, forgive, he’s essentially unpacking the biblical attributes of patience, kindness, and not keeping a record of wrongs. He’s giving them practical, boots-on-the-ground application.
Usage Examples
- For leaders and managers: When you’re frustrated with a team member, this quote asks: “Do you genuinely want the best for them?” If the answer is yes (that’s the love), then service (supporting them), kind thoughts (giving them the benefit of the doubt), and forgiveness (letting go of the mistake) become your natural management strategy.
- In personal relationships: Ever feel resentful? This framework challenges that. If you love the person, the path is clear, act in their service, consciously direct your thoughts kindly toward them, and actively choose to forgive the slight. It changes the entire conflict.
- For self-reflection: Honestly, apply it to how you treat yourself. If you have a foundational love for yourself, you’ll serve your own well-being, you’ll speak to yourself kindly, and you’ll forgive your own mistakes. It works on every level.
To whom it appeals?
| Audience | believers (10), leaders (292), seekers (47), teachers (192) |
|---|---|
This quote can be used in following contexts: motivational essays,spiritual writing,faith-based talks,religious education
FAQ
Question: Does this mean you have to be a doormat?
Answer: No. That’s a common misinterpretation. Real love, the kind Drummond is talking about, includes having boundaries. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you have to subject yourself to repeated harm. It means you release the bitterness for your own peace. Service from a place of love is empowering, not depleting.
Question: What if I don’t feel loving?
Answer: This is the key! Drummond isn’t talking about a fleeting emotion. He’s talking about a conscious, chosen commitment. You can choose to act in a loving way, to serve, to think kindly, to forgive, even when you don’t feel like it. And often, the action itself reignites the feeling.
Question: Is this a religious concept only?
Answer: While its origin is theological, the principle is deeply psychological and practical. Modern psychology champions the benefits of forgiveness, kindness, and prosocial behavior (service) for mental well-being. You can apply this framework perfectly well from a purely secular, humanist perspective.