Love

"Love is patient and kind. It does not envy or boast, it is not proud, it isn't rude or self-seeking, it isn't irritable, it isn't resentful. Love doesn't delight in evil; it delights in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." (Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, chap 13)

The heart of God is love. There's nothing he does except in love. (Even judgment is in love.) He only seeks the good of the other. 

Love is seeking after the good of another.

Patience is waiting on God to act.

Kindness is a generous spirit, which comes from sympathy.

Envy is wanting what isn't yours and hating another who has it. If you seek the other's good, you might be happy about their having a certain possession, or about their good fortune. Or else, you might be concerned, if what they have hurts them (not you). God is love, so if you want God more than anything (if you "seek" him as the priority in your life), then he will fill you up and the desire that causes envy will melt away, replaced by his love.

Boasting reveals insecurity mostly, but it pushes others away. Stay near God. Secure in him, you can attend to others, without need of trumpeting your achievements. God thinks a lot about you anyway.

Love isn't proud or arrogant. God is humble. He keeps himself hidden so you have space to think and work things out. Most of the time God doesn't get the credit he deserves but loves us anyway, out of his endless reserves of God-ness. I can live in those endless reserves too, and be modest like him, happy (strangely) with what I have, which is everything.

Love isn't rude or insensitive. God is very respectful. "Where are you, Adam?" (As if he didn't know!) He gives us room to reveal ourselves, slowly overcoming our awkwardness and hesitancy. If I live in God, I'll acquire his gentlemanliness.

Love isn't self- seeking. God's love is different from ours. Even our best love, e.g. towards a child, may be mixed in motive (families often have genuine concern mixed with resentment at not being appreciated, for example; or love mixed with living out your dreams through your children). We can love while wanting something in return. God loves out of an abundance of generosity, ever secure in his great life of love between Father, Son and Spirit. Now, in him, I can learn to love like him.

It (love) isn't irritable, or easily angered. You must occasionally be angered, to be human, but wait a minute - don't act in anger, and as you meditate on how completely God "has your back," and on how he might view everyone in your situation, enjoy how the anger slips away, to be replaced by peace and confidence in God. And even compassion and forgiveness. He will bring about justice, by and by. 

It keeps no record of wrongs. "Resentment" is "re-sentiment" or playing back hurts, in your head, over and over. It doesn't help, and we know it. 

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. God's love isn't sentimental. It cannot help speaking simply and truthfully. You can be kind at the same time...

Love bears all things. I can't (bear all things)! But love can. In God, I can bear more than I think. As a growing person, I still need to admit, in sober judgment, when something is too much for me to bear. 

Love believes all things. In confidence, like Jesus, I can know that every wind and wave listens to God's voice obediently. If someone looks incorrigible, "he will stand, for God is able to make him stand."

It hopes all things. Love rejoices, certain of blessings (good things to come), because what else would God bring about?

   ( Praying at the Wall: Love always hopes)

It endures all things. Love is eternal. It never ends. One day we will see Jesus as he is, and know him as he currently knows us. With this assurance in my heart, I can stay gentle through lots of pressure. And if not right now, I can grow into it.

Love never ends. It will define the ever after more clearly than the present, and I want to be a part of that!


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