I Corinthians 13

The words in 1 Corinthians 13 have brought me to a low position this evening...a position of needing to be "purged" "washed" "made to hear joy and gladness" "cleaned" and "restored." Those words are taken from Psalm 51 - a psalm written by David after he saw his sin in light of Who God Is. Psalm 51 and 1 Corinthians 13 have much in common, mainly because they humble a person.  These chapters in the Word of God point out that 1) we need Him 2) we can do nothing on our own 3) our "burnt sacrifices" and our "tongues of angels" are merely "clanging cymbals" when we fail to LOVE the LORD our GOD with all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul. David realized this - the sacrifices needed are not ones that man sees but ones that  God sees, "a broken and a contrite heart." Paul also realized this - flowery words, understanding of mysterious truths, prophetic powers, and tongues of men (and angels!) that men often think are needed are opposite of what He truly desires in a believers life "love...suffers long, love is kind, is not rude, is not puffed up, does not seek its own..." 
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Take the time to read this chapter in the Word of God. It's written below :-) 
NKJV is on the left. AMP highlights are on the right.
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 ¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men               

and of angels, but have not love, I have                      [love: intentional, spiritual devotion inspired by 

become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.                   God's love in and through us]

² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and 

understand all mysteries and all knowledge, 

and though I have all faith, so that I could 

remove mountains, but have not love, I am                 [I am nothing: I am a useless nobody]

nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods 

to feed the poor, and though I give my body 

to be burned, but have not love, it profits me 

nothing. ⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love              [love suffers long and is patient and kind]

does not envy; love does not parade itself,              [envy: boil over with jealousy] [parade: vainglorious]

is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely,                [rude: does not act unbecomingly, unmannerly]

does not seek its own, is not provoked,                  [does not insist on its own rights, its own ways]

                                                                                                  [provoked: is not touchy, fretful, or resentful]

thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity,           [doesn't rejoice at injustice or unrighteousness,

but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things,               but rejoices when right and truth prevail]

believes all things, hopes all things, endures        [hope: they are fadeless under all circumstances

                                                                                               endures: endures all things without weakening]

all things. ⁸ Love never fails. But whether there     [love never ends, never becomes obsolete]

are prophecies, they will fail; whether there 

are tongues, they will cease; whether there 

is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we   [knowledge: it will lose its value and be superseded by truth]

know in part and we prophesy in part. 

¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, 

then that which is in part will be done away.     [done away: become antiquated, void, and superseded]    

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, 

I understood as a child, I thought as a child; 

but when I became a man, I put away childish 

things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, 

but then face to face. Now I know in part, but         [but: but when perfection comes we shall see in     

                                                                                                                         reality and face to face!]

then I shall know just as I also am known.       [shall understand fully and clearly, even in the same 

                                                                                          manner as I have been fully and clearly known and 

                                                                                          understood by God!]

¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; 

but the greatest of these is love.

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Amen