First Corinthians 13 - the "love chapter" - is one of the most famous chapters in the entire Bible. It has been endlessly quoted by pastors, congregates, secularists, and anyone else you can think of. It's so easy for us to use the word "love" - I love my parents, I love my church, I love my dogs, I love hamburgers.... We use it with everything. Love has got to be one of the most misused words in the English language. But what is love, really? First Corinthians 13 gives us an intimidating list of what it means to truly love someone. I want to talk about 4 things from that we must lay down that stick out in my mind:
1) "Love is patient and not easily angered" - we must lay down our expectations and demands of others. This is a tough one for me. I live my life expecting alot - not only of others, but of myself, as well. That is how I, with God's help, have been able to do so much in my short life. But true love does not expect people to act a certain way or do certain things, nor does it get upset when they don't fulfill those expectations. It meets them right where they are and loves them anyway.
2) "Love keeps no record of wrongs" - Love requires that we lay down our record keeping of past hurts. How many times do we hold onto things that people have done to us in the past, and throw it back in their faces at the opportune moment? That, dear friends, is not love - it's vengeful and vindictive. And not only is it not beneficial, but it will destroy you. I know from experience - bitterness nearly destroyed me before I learned how to handle it.
3) "Love does not boast; it is not proud or self-seeking" - we must lay down our self-promotion. Whew, that's a biggie! Everyone wants the accolade of others - that's an innate part of human nature! But love requires that we lay down our human nature, and put others first.
4) "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth - true love means that we must lay down resentment and jealousy of others. Not only should we not look for praise and recognition of others, but we must be happy for other people when THEY receive recognition. How backwards is that to our normal nature!
True love, it seems, is an impossible feat to achieve. That's where Jesus comes in. The great miracle worker specializes in achieving the impossible. Let Him into your life, let Him rule your thoughts and actions, and you will be astonished by the work He does in you.
1) "Love is patient and not easily angered" - we must lay down our expectations and demands of others. This is a tough one for me. I live my life expecting alot - not only of others, but of myself, as well. That is how I, with God's help, have been able to do so much in my short life. But true love does not expect people to act a certain way or do certain things, nor does it get upset when they don't fulfill those expectations. It meets them right where they are and loves them anyway.
2) "Love keeps no record of wrongs" - Love requires that we lay down our record keeping of past hurts. How many times do we hold onto things that people have done to us in the past, and throw it back in their faces at the opportune moment? That, dear friends, is not love - it's vengeful and vindictive. And not only is it not beneficial, but it will destroy you. I know from experience - bitterness nearly destroyed me before I learned how to handle it.
3) "Love does not boast; it is not proud or self-seeking" - we must lay down our self-promotion. Whew, that's a biggie! Everyone wants the accolade of others - that's an innate part of human nature! But love requires that we lay down our human nature, and put others first.
4) "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth - true love means that we must lay down resentment and jealousy of others. Not only should we not look for praise and recognition of others, but we must be happy for other people when THEY receive recognition. How backwards is that to our normal nature!
True love, it seems, is an impossible feat to achieve. That's where Jesus comes in. The great miracle worker specializes in achieving the impossible. Let Him into your life, let Him rule your thoughts and actions, and you will be astonished by the work He does in you.
1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love 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.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
