“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 records of wrongs. Love does not delight in eveil, but rejoices with the truth. It always perseveres. Love never fails” 1 Corinthians 13: 1 – 4
Last night I was reading the popular verses on Love in 1 Corinthians and I started thinking about our culture. All over the place we see the opposite of what is said in verse 4 “Love never fails”. All around me I see love failing. I see people professing love to one another and then breaking up. I see children telling their parents they love them and then running away. I see hearts broken everywhere. WHY? The bible says that “love never fails”.
And I started realizing the answer. Human love will ALWAYS fail, but Christ’s love will NEVER fail.
Human love is the complete opposite of these verses. Human love is not patient, not kind, envious, boasting, and proud. It dishonors others, it is self-seeking, it is easily angered, it keeps records of wrongs. It delights in evil, but doesn’t rejoice in the truth. It never perseveres. It fails.
Some of you might be saying that is a little harsh, but I would say it is the truth. When I look at myself and I try to love people with my own humanness, I am the opposite of these verses. It might not come off to others that way, but if I really look at myself, I am proud, envious, not patient, self-seeking, etc. When I try to love someone because I think I should, then one of two things happen.
- I love because I want to be loved in return = selfishness
- I love because I know it is a good thing to do and then I call tell others about it = pride
If I really look inside of myself, there would be tons of other examples of the wrong kind of loving.
I DO THIS ALL THE TIME! I am not proud of it, but it is the truth.
So what do we do about it?
I would say that the only way we can get closer and closer to the kind of love Paul is writing in this letter to the Corinthians is by asking God for it.
Christ’s love NEVER fails. It will never always be perfect, but we are human and we will never be perfect. We aren’t called to love perfectly, either. (what a relief, right?!) However, when our love stems from God’s, we can love people better.
My prayer for you today is that you have a desire to love better. That you have a desire to have your heart changed and transformed into a woman or man of God who can love others the way Jesus did.
Put aside your old ways and ask God to clothe you anew. His love is perfect and He wants to teach you His ways.
