You can’t talk about Biblical love without thinking about 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter of the New Testament.
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
It does not envy.
It does not boast.
It is not proud.
It does not dishonour 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 Corinthians 13:4ff)
When I think of Christ, this list of ‘love’ is really His character. Jesus is patient, kind, humble, not easily angered, He trusts, hopes and perseveres. He is the embodiment of love and specifically, of God’s love for you and me.
What about you and me as believers? If we are finding love in strange places in the Bible, can we find ourselves in this definition too? After all, we are taught that Christ shines through us and we are the hands and feet of God to a hurting world. A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34, 35)
Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 above, read it again and this time substitute in your name:
_________is patient.
_________is kind.
He/she is not envy.
He/she does not boast…
Wouldn’t it be amazing if all that was true of us, too?
A Valentine kind of love lasts for a day. A Valentine date may last for a month, or a year, or may even turn out to be the ‘soulmate’ you have been searching for. But what about being the kind of ‘love’ that God defines? Wouldn’t it be neat if at Valentine’s next year we each look at 1 Corinthians 13 again and see progress and success in becoming more like Christ?
As we strive to be the best we can be for the glory of God, remember that God’s love for us is not fleeting. His love never fails. He won’t ‘fall out of love with us’ and it is based on who He is and not on what we do. God in Jesus is every one of these characteristics perfectly and without sin. We are not gods. We are human and we will fail. But as we try with the help of the Holy Spirit we can have success and although it will never be 100%, we can become more Christlike. Remember that God so loved the world, and in all His plans He has you as an integral part. He loves you. He saved you. And He will shine through you and through your patience, kindness, humility, etc. to show others to His glory.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
May the world know His love,
As He shines through you.
Our song for today is I Love You Lord by Laurie Klein.