Love

Sometimes I feel like the love I have is insufficient. Like the love I possess is incapable of loving someone fully. That my tainted view and picture of love will further bring someone to their ruin. The love that I desire to give is incomplete, lacking something that will benefit those that are close to me.  Giving love often puts me in a vulnerable position that opens my heart to all types of hurt. Love isn’t this perfect idea beautifully wrapped and ready to be given to its recipient.  Loving someone often times is grimy and is not the fainthearted. Loving even when it seems to not be reciprocal many times humbles you and reveals the inauthenticity and flakiness of our love. It shows how conditional our love is and how it only flourishes in the most perfect circumstances.

Crazy thing is we have been sold a false idea of love for so long that we have been blinded to what it really looks like. From reality TV shows we see a love that manipulates and is aggressive and often times lacks service. From Disney to other kid networks we see a love that’s without struggle and conflict. Because of this we run from things that are painful and dish out resentment when we are hurt. Since many have been manipulated constantly they place everyone that follows into that same box not letting anyone in. The love that many seek only leads to disappointment because they have disguised what is really lust and called it love.

We all have rehearsed and quoted 1 Corinthians so much that it has become stale lacking power in our lives. Though that verse shows us how love looks, many never seek to put it into action and from the sideline never enter the game. These verses hold great power and change the landscape of our relationships and our world.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres
We see in the early parts of the chapter we are given a full description of how love should look.

-We see that love is patient and kind. This shows us that love requires the ability to deal with friends, spouses and others with long suffering as they imperfectly try to express their love to you. It means that when they do upset you and get under your skin that you extend mercy and are kind even when there is no benefit.

-We see that love does not envy, it does not boast and is not proud.  We see that when we love that we celebrate with those who God is blessing in a different way. We walk with them and congratulate their successes. We see that love doesn’t boast in successes or become proud as if our good works are the sole reason to our rise up the ranks. It walks humbly before others and considers others before ourselves even if it is not reciprocal.

-We see that love doesn’t do anything that would bring shame or disgrace to their name.

-We see that love is not only focused on what we will get in return.  Good works aren’t done with evil intentions solely based on our benefit. It’s seeking to serve and put ourselves lowly for the benefit of others.

-We see that love isn’t being easily angered. It is being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. This means that we use great wisdom in our responses to others. We don’t lash out in an emotional rage tearing down whatever is in our path. Its fully hearing what the other is saying and responding accordingly. “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” BE WISE

-Love doesn’t keep a tally mark of the amount of times someone has wronged us. We freely forgive because we have been forgiven. It doesn’t benefit anyone to hold grudges and choose to be filled with hate. If someone harms you don’t count it against them. Use wisdom when dealing with them again but don’t let your heart be consumed with anger.

I know these things aren’t natural for us. In a world filled with hurt, pain, and corruption love will be the driving force behind change. I am not perfect by any means, I struggle with loving my spouse and others perfectly all the time but I am glad that God strengthens me daily to grow in these areas. Join in as we love genuinely and serve those around us.