Saturday, January 14, 2012

What is love?

There are a lot of ways that I could describe what love is. Love is caring for people when they are sick, and being there for someone in their time of greatest need. I could go on and on about this. Somehow I believe the LIE that people only love me IF I'm doing everything right- and if I mess up just once- then they're done and that's it. Take for example my childhood- when I was younger and was sometimes disobedient to my parents- I reaped the punishment. After that situation my first thought was- i don't know if they love me. I didn't understand they punished me because they loved me and wanted me to learn right from wrong.

Somehow this thought/lie/belief has obnoxiously stayed with me.

That's why I run to Jesus, first and foremost- then i jump to 1 Corinthians 13; really the whole chapter- but right now and more specifically the following verses:

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not 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 have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not 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 is not rude, 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 perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

These verses speak to my issue directly. In the first few verses the message is- it doesn't matter what i can do- if I don't have love in my actions- I am nothing. If LOVE does not propel my actions- I am nothing.

Lesson 1: Let Love Propel your actions.

The other verse that spoke to me is verse 5: It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

To truly love someone, you are not hanging over them keeping a list of every single wrong thing they've ever done; no one is writing down every single thing you've ever done to annoy anyone, make someone upset at you, or any other thing- love keeps no record of that.
That literally blows my mind. For one thing, I try hard to not keep a list of wrong things people have done to me- but for someone to NOT keep a list of wrong things i've done to them? wow....
This always brings me back to Jesus and how he could love someone like me.

Lesson 2: Love keeps no record of wrongs.

The third verse I want to write about is the following- and here's where I feel may be and prayerfully will be the breaking point. Verses 7 and 8 say that love" It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails.

My mom has told me that the words "always" and "never" are very strong words. I know she's right.
These verses say that love ALWAYS protects, ALWAYS trusts, ALWAYS hopes, ALWAYS perseveres and that love NEVER fails.

Note it does not say- i'll only protect you when you're not in danger. I'll only trust you when.... I'll only hope when.....and I'll only persevere when....

Note more what this verse does not say:
-love does not say- i'll only be this way when you're not annoying
-love does not say-i'll only be this way when you're obeying me
-love does not say-i'll only be this way when i'm not mad at you
-love does not say- i'll only be this way when you're perfect and obeying

NO. LOVE always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres and it never fails.
I don't know about you, but sometimes what the verses don't say- really hits me.
Love is not conditioned to the words "when", "if", and other conditional terms.
To truly define love- look at 1 Cor. 13- the entire chapter. Love never fails.

Lesson 3: " It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails.

When I look at Jesus, I see perfection. When I look at myself, i think- okay I'm a pretty good kid etc etc...but only being a pretty good kid doesn't cut it. See God's love for me is not based on what I do or how many good works I do. His love for me is just for the fact that He created me and made me in His image. His love for me isn't based on whether I made someone mad at me or I annoyed someone. He's not sitting in heaven going- uh oh..you made someone mad and now they love you less. In fact, God loves me SOOOOO much that He willingly sent his only Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Now that's love...sacrifice.

Please pray that this will continue to break this lie in my life and that God will do his amazing work in my life.
His love never fails.