In Paul's letters to the church at Corinth he wrote what we know as the love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. In these verses we learn what TRUE love is. Not the kind of "love" that is here today and gone tomorrow but the real love that is everlasting and unconditional. If you look up the word "love" in the Google dictionary there are three meanings, 1. an intense feeling of deep affection. 2. a person or thing that one loves. or 3. feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone). My friends, none of these define what LOVE truly is. Love is not a feeling and it is not merely a sexual attachment. Love is so much more than those things. It is the Bible that gives the God breathed definition of #perfectlove!
"If I speak the languages of man and of angels, but do not have
love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand
all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I can move
mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to
be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love
is patient; love is kind. Love does not
envy; it is not boastful; is not conceited; does not act improperly; is not
selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; finds no joy in
unrighteousness , but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things endures all things. Love never ends... Now these three remain;
faith, hope, and love. But the greatest
of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
From this scripture we feel the significance and power of love.
As Christians we are called to love
above
all else!
Right now God is teaching me what it means to truly love. It is so easy to get caught up in what the
world considers to be love and not take it a step further but as I said we are
called to love and to love everyone. What about the people who drive you crazy or who
you feel is the exception? I hope I am
not the one to break it to you but...There are no exceptions. In Luke chapter 6, it tells us that even
sinners love those who love them so there is nothing that sets you apart if you
don't love those who don't love you.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of perfect love and although we
will never know perfect love from another human we have the opportunity to know
perfect love in HIM. So let us know perfect
love and share it with others in Christ's name!
I have been trying to live this out more in my life. Thank you for the reminder and the verses you shared.
ReplyDeleteSimple, but yet hard at the same time.
ReplyDeleteSo true. Enjoyed reading your blog. My husband quotes 1 Cor 13 in every wedding he performs. I can quote it now by heart. Thanks for sharing. Debbie W. (OBS Facebook Group Leader)
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to love those that irritate you but yes we are called to love them too....so true but can be oh so hard some days. So thankful that my #perfectlove is forgiving when I don't show his love on some days. Keep writing.
ReplyDeleteAbuse and abandonment as a child taught me to build those walls and keep people at a safe distance and trust in no one living being. It has taken me a lifetime to come to a place where I'm trying to break down the walls that I've built over the years. Loving people as Jesus and God loves people seems so impossible for me. I truly want to have and give that #pefectlove. It will be a life long mission for me until I leave this earth to be with my heavenly father. I cannot do it on my own and I consistently pray for help and forgiveness when I fail to love as I should (which is often). I feel I've wasted so much time with little time left to change and be the disciple and child of God that I want and need to be, but I will not give up.
ReplyDelete