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 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
13:4-8
Some people say I’m a romantic
and I guess I am. Why wouldn’t I be when love is such a splendid thing? I love
all the ways love is good, right and true. It is like a faithful friend who
never hurts anyone. Paul describes love in this passage as always looking out
for others.
The Apostle John further expounds
on the source of love in his epistle.
Whoever does not love does not know
God, because God is love… God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and
God in them. I John 4:8, 16b
If we want to be able to
experience love and live in love, we must know God. Our Heavenly Father is the
source of all love. Without His Spirit, there would be only the raw, harsh emotions
that are left when love is taken out of the world. All we would have left is
the opposite of everything Paul says: impatience, unkindness, envy, boasting,
pride, dishonor, self-seeking, anger, unforgive-ness, evil, untruthfulness,
assault, distrust, despair and surrender.
Everything we love about life has
its source in love. The very existence of love is one of the best witnesses for
the existence of God for the unbeliever. Jesus himself explained His mission to
Nicodemus as an expression of God’s love for the world (John 3:16).
I LOVE it!!!! Thanks for sharing and helping us get back to what is important and what we should base our life around to have a joyful and enjoyable life with meaning!
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So pleased it blessed you, Paula! Thanks for reading!
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