What is Love?

One of the most famous passages in the Bible about love is 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

I decided to compare the love I give to this verse and here is what I discovered:

• Love is patient– I can be patient to a certain point, I am usually more patient with other people and the their children that I am with my family members.
• Love is kind– I can be kind to a certain degree, but being unkind seems to come so much easier.
• Love is not easily angered– This goes right along with patience for me, I am very patient with people, but my husband have kids have seen me blow my top more often than I care to admit.
• Love keeps no record of wrongs– I have wasted 5 years of my life holding my husband’s wrongs against him, looking back, what a waste of time and energy!
• Love does not rejoice in evil– This one I had t really think about, but to be truthful, yes there are times when I rejoice in evil.  When I feel people “deserve” to have bad things happen to them, I have rejoiced in their misfortune.
• Love rejoices in the truth– You would think this one I would have gotten, right?  Nope!  I am a perfectionist at heart and I definitely do not “rejoice” when I am confronted , in love, and told what I am doing or have done is wrong.  I get angry first, then I process it and come around, but rejoicing in this truth is not what I first do.
• Love protects- This is when I look to the times when I have had to discipline my children, or talk to someone about something I feel they have done wrong.  Usually it is said in anger, and protecting their heart is not my first priority, proving I am right is!
• Love always trusts-  Yeah, there are too many times that I wonder what someones motivations are to say that I always trust!  I try, but here again, I fail.
• Love always hopes– The “always” gets me here.  For the most part, I am a “glass half full” kind of person, but there are times when I am tired and warn that I fall into the pit of despair, throw my hands up and stop hoping.
• Love always perseveres–  Here is the meaning of persevere: to continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success.  Yep, here to I get to a certain point that I feel is my limit, and I tend to quit.

How did you fair when comparing your love to this list?  Probably about as good as I did.  Does this mean there is no hope for us, that we are destined to fail at love or entire life?  Thank the Lord the answer is no!  You see, if we love only using our own supply and strength, then yes we will continue to fail at love.  But, when we seek God and allow Him to fill us with His unending supply of love, that is when we can succeed at truly loving ourselves and others.

Support From Tru:

Many people find 1 Corinthians 13 to be one of the most moving passages in the Bible. Take some time to savor the beauty of these words. If you have time, try memorizing them so they become rooted in and to your soul. Pray God will consume you with His Holy Spirit so fully that you can’t help but love as He does, without envy, competition, selfishness, resentment, boasting, pride, anger, or malice. Pray you’ll be filled with the strength to persevere in relationships, be kind when you don’t feel like it, trust others, hope for others’ success, have patience, and give kindness. Pray God will give you the ability to model His love for others in ways that would be impossible without the supernatural strength of the Holy Spirit.

Family Time:

Read and discuss 1 Corinthians 12 & 13, a portion of Paul’s letter to the Church in Corinth.  Here is”Reflect” from TRU that you can use to spur thoughts and conversation!!! For more information and other Parenting Resources , click here for Ridge Kids Parent Page.

Paul reminded the Corinthian church that God wanted them to build each other up instead of tearing each other down. Paul knew the church could only act as one body in Christ if the Holy Spirit filled them with God’s perfect love. The Holy Spirit is the only One who gives us the power to model God’s perfect love to others. Encourage the kids to open their Bibles and read the suggested passages.

• What were some reasons Paul wrote the letter to the Corinthian church? 1 Corinthians 1:10–17, 5:1–13; 6:1–20
• In what ways did Paul compare the church to a human body? 1 Corinthians 12:12–13
• How can you become a part of the body of Christ? Romans 10:9
• How do you know we’re all a part of the body of Christ? 1 Corinthians 12:12–13
• Have you ever hurt your hand? How did your arm feel? How does being connected to each other work?
• What do you think the church would be like if every member modeled love for everyone else?
• What do you think the most loving church ever would look like? 1 Corinthians 13:1–7

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