What I Know About Love

The other day I sat down to read my Bible and turned to 1 Corinthians 13. These are verses I know well. I've probably heard them most of my life, my daddy read them as he officiated my wedding ceremony and most of them I can recite. But some days God just uses scriptures that we know so well to teach us something brand new. I love those days. This was one of those mornings spent so surrounded by His spirit that you can do nothing but be amazed by His presence, which usually brings me to tears.

Somewhere along the way, we got the idea that love was easy. You just fall into it. And if it's the 'right one' it'll be so easy to always love. We think of it as more of a feeling than an act. The twisted ideas that society has come up w/ are so far from what the Bible describes.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails.

That, my friend, is not always easy. And maybe for some people it is. It's usually easy to love Avery even as the Bible describes it. And I can really work hard at it w/ Charlie, because he is my husband. But can I love those I don't have to? The annoying know-it-all at the office who makes me want to quit my job. The poorly dressed person at the gas station asking for money. The family member that no one can stand. The politician that makes decisions you find so hard to understand. Can I love those? I'll never have the fuzzy, Lifetime love for any of them. But can I have the God kind of love? Can I be patient with them and kind? Can I forget my pride and not want my own way? Can I not become angry w/ them, even on the hard days? Can I forget the things they've done in the past I didn't agree with? If I can do those things, love will never fail. One thing I know is true, God's word. So I'm going to really try to put those into practice. I want to love the unlovable. I want to love those I know and those I don't know. Because if I don't, I can do all kinds of other great things, but without love - it's nothing. I'm not crazy enough to think I can do this on my own. I need to be so covered in His spirit, so reminded of His word. I need to depend completely on Him to do this, or to do anything. That is the only way we'll ever experience true love. You don't just fall into that. It's a challenge. And with any challenge, great are the rewards.