“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”
I Corinthians 13:4-8 NKJV
Love never fails. That sounds so awesome, doesn't it? Love NEVER fails. It is enduring. What a beautiful description of God's love for us: patient, kind, not arrogant, unwilling to keep record of wrongs. But this chapter isn't really about how God loves us. It is about how we should love others (which is the same way God loves us). I once read that we should put our names in where it says love and see how we measure up. Is Debra long-suffering and kind? Is Debra not puffed up? Does Debra keep no record of wrongs? I'm already seeing where I can come up higher! The truth is that we say we love people, but are we willing to love them like 1 Corinthians 13 describes it? Paul wasn't giving us a list of suggestions. We can't pick which ones we like and discard the others. Covenant Keepers, this certainly should describe how we love our spouses. We are one with them, and our union is reflective of Christ's relationship with the Body of Christ. Are we loving like we should? Look at this passage in the Message Bible. It makes it even clearer:
“If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.”
1 Corinthians 13:3-7 MSG
Take some time this week to reflect on this scripture. I pray that God shows us any areas that need attention in our love walk and that He strengthens us to cooperate fully with Him. Blessings!
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