Love

Today is Valentine's Day so I thought it would be very fitting for me to talk about love.

One of my favorite Bible verses on love is 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8. It reads as follows: 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.

Each time I read this, I am convicted of all the things I should and shouldn't do. I ought to be patient, but not be envious or boastful. I shouldn't be proud or talk bad about people. I shouldn't be selfish or angry. Don't hold grudges. Be honest and truthful. Protect and trust those you love. Have hope, persevere, and in the end love will find a way. Okay, so that's a real quick overview because each sentence has enough meat to be it's own sermon! Reading these verses can be overwhelming, but more than that, it feels impossible to follow all of those commands, right?

Well, let's take a different approach. We should know this, that God is full of love and the Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8). GOD=LOVE. That's simple right? So replace the word Love with God and read it again. Now it reads God is patient. God is kind. He protects us, asks us to trust Him, gives us hope. Then we can persevere through any circumstance. His love is unfailing See how wonderful and loving God is?

Whenever I'm feeling not-so-loveable, whether it's towards myself, my spouse, or anyone else. The Holy Spirit always reminds me of these verses. If I am angry at my husband, I'm reminded to be patient. If someone whom I've forgiven a million times wrongs me yet again, I'm reminded to not keep record of those offenses. When I'm tempted to bad-mouth someone, I'm reminded to protect. When I want to tell a snooty know-it-all to know what I think, I am reminded to be humble. When I want the toned arms or abs that someone else has, I'm reminded to not envy.

Do I always do the right thing? No. It's extremely difficult! But I can tell you when I don't, I have to apologize, repent, and answer to God. Trust me when I say it's easier to just not go there.

Why should we follow those commands? Because God is this way towards us, plus so much more! We only love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Also, 1 Peter 4:8 says that love covers a multitude of sins. (Yep, God has covered countless numbers of my sins.)  So we ought to do the same for others, especially those we love. I encourage you all to do the right thing, even when it's tough. Doing the right thing isn't for God's benefit but for our own. So we don't keep sinning and become separated from God (Isaiah 59:2).

And honestly, we will never be able to fully understand God's love. But with scripture, we can gain some insight, let it renew our minds, and transform us (Romans 12:2) to be all that He's created us to be!

Let us pray.

Father God,

Happy Valentine's Day. Today I am reminded of your great, vast, deep, and wide measures of love that you have for us. Please allow those reading to know the love you have for them. Show them Father and give them understanding so they will know without a doubt, of your love for them. I also pray that your Holy Spirit will bring these verses to our remembrance (John 14:26) so that we can be more like you. Help us to love those you've placed in our lives. It's easy to love those who love us back, but difficult to love those who hurt us. Give us patience and perseverance. Thank you for your patience with us, and for teaching us to be humble, kind, and forgiving just as you are. We love you Lord.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Prayerfully,

Pam