The Apostle Paul invites us to learn the way of God’s love together:
- “Love is patient and kind.
- Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
- It does not demand its own way.
- It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
- It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
- Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1co.13.4-7.NLT
Reflection
As followers of Christ, we prioritize many different things in the big community of faith. Paul highlights a few of those things in 1 Corinthians 13:
- We encourage giving to the poor.
- We value truth. We spend time on both the giving and receiving of God’s truth (prophecy).
- We encourage the understanding and speaking of many languages as a way of sharing the good news of Christ with the world.
Paul also gives us an important piece of news, framed here in two ways:
- Everything we do is to be underwritten with the love of God flowing through our lives.
- Anything we do without the love of God is empty, useless, and a waste of time.
As I look at Paul’s description of love, there is the immediate recognition that this kind of love will not be sourced within myself. For this love to be present in my life, it must be provided by God. Thankfully, he is happy to do just that!
Encouragement
One of the beautiful truths of following Christ over time is that God’s love grows in its presence and expression in each of us.
I see more of God’s love flowing through me at age 65 than I did at 25. This is good news for me and everyone in my life.
A life of love is the better way. We are to embrace it, learn from it, and grow in it. We are to love generously.
The more you love, the more love grows in the lives of everyone we interact with.
This is the way of God’s love.
One more thing – this way of love will last forever.
This way is sourced by believing and following Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Dear Jesus,
On our own, we do not reflect God’s love apart from you. We are impatient. We are not always kind. We are jealous, selfish, and greedy when left to our own desires and vices.
On our own, we are very demanding, rude, and we don’t value justice as long as life is going our way.
You already know all of this about us.
You also know something else that is amazing about us:
We are made in the image of God. We are designed for God’s love to flow through our lives.
Sin separated us from all of this divine potential.
Thank you, Jesus, for coming to save us from sin and restore us to live with God’s love flowing through our lives, just as God intended.
Holy Spirit, help us not to elevate other matters above the love of God. Guide us to let the love of God undergird everything we do.
In your name, Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Ed McDowell