Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
I've finally come to the end of this mini series on the inexhaustible topic of love.
The first and greatest commandment of God is that we love Him with all our being, but this study, based on 1 Corinthians 13, is all about love in relation to other people. Doing this series has meant that I have gone through my days assessing and evaluating myself in light of these truths. I've been able to see points where I need more growth than others (ask me if you want to know, lol!).
I've also recognized again that loving truly gives great confidence when we approach God in prayer. And it's just really good to go through a day knowing that you are being obedient to God's principal command in relation to others.
All the blog links from previous entries can be found here:
1st - Love is patient
2nd - Love is kind
3rd - Love does not envy
4th - Love does not boast; it is not arrogant or rude
5th - Love does not insist on its own way
6th - Love is not irritable
7th - Love is not resentful
8th - Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth
Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures, all things
Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures, all things. I believe that this phrase has everything to do with the divine nature of true love. By "all things" it does not mean that love does not exercise discernment, or that love does not act wisely as a situation may require. Love is not blind. Love will see, and choose to cover a multitude of sins by extending mercy. Love will choose to do good even when it knows it is being used for the selfish gain of others - without extending trust foolishly.
Love is a choice. And choosing true love will cost you much. It may not be returned to you by all the human vessels you would choose in this life, but it will be noted and rewarded by God. In fact, all the good that could possibly be done is of no eternal value unless love was its motive.
In the final analysis, it is those whose love has God as its source, who love truly and who love enduringly.
"Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man."Love hopes based on what God's word says, and on what God will do in response to our faith in Him. Love is not whimsical and unrealistic. Love is enduring because God is immortal. True love has an infinite, eternal Source. This does not mean that "your first love is your true love," or that "once you love somebody you will always love them no matter what" as the popular adages go. It is not the obsessive 'love' of infatuation or unhealthy attachment.
John 2:23-25, ESV
Love is a choice. And choosing true love will cost you much. It may not be returned to you by all the human vessels you would choose in this life, but it will be noted and rewarded by God. In fact, all the good that could possibly be done is of no eternal value unless love was its motive.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up all my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."True love is of God. He has graciously endowed even unbelievers with the ability to have natural affection and care for family, friends, and others. Could you imagine how quickly we would destroy each other, and all of society, if we were void of even this natural affection? Yet I do believe that even this natural affection is disappearing in these last days, as evil ripens in the heart of men who reject and do not know God. Even a cursory glance at the weekly news headlines reveal the 'unthinkable' things which people think to do to their own spouses, children, and friends. Yes we are in those perilous last days spoken of (see 2 Timothy 3:1-4 and Romans 1:28-31).
1 Corinthians 13: 1-3, ESV
In the final analysis, it is those whose love has God as its source, who love truly and who love enduringly.
"...become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."Because this is an extra special post, let me end by throwing in some good stuff by C.S. Lewis:
Philippians 2:15
"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal...lock it up safe in the coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket...it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable...The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell."And a fitting, moving soundtrack, When It Was Over, by Sara Groves from the album, Add to the Beauty (2005):
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