On Monday, we discussed the importance of loving others like Jesus loves us. If you didn’t catch that post, you can read it here. There are so many different ways in which people show love. They’re called love languages (if you don’t know yours, I suggest taking the official test here). Today and Friday, we’re going to dive into what’s known as the Love Chapter; 1 Corinthians 13. More specifically, verses 4-8. This scripture gives us a list of what love is and isn’t, and what love does and doesn’t do. In this post, we’re going to dissect these few verses individually in order to get a clear understanding of the biblical definition of love. Today, we’ll look at what love is and what it does. Then, on Friday, we'll look at what love is not and does not do.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 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. Love is patient Relationships aren’t always easy. In any type of relationship, you have to have patience with the other person. If you love someone, you shouldn’t be quick to anger. No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Be patient with people; especially the people you love. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Being patient shows love. Love is kind Kindness is imperative. If you love someone, you shouldn’t be putting them down and constantly being rude to them. There’s nothing wrong with a little teasing. My best friend and I love each other, and we’re constantly teasing each other. Some people might see it as mean, but we understand each other’s humor. We realize that we’re not being cruel to one another; we’re just messing around. But make sure you know that there’s a very fine line between innocent teasing and being mean. Love rejoices with the truth It was a little difficult for me to come up with an explanation for this one, but I think I finally got it. I believe that when the writer of this chapter said "truth", they were talking about the Bible and doing right by the Bible. I believe that “rejoicing with the truth” means helping each other follow God and His plan for your life. I believe it also means truth in the literal sense. If people are claiming to love each other but are also constantly lying to one another, that’s not really showing love. Love always protects In the context of this scripture, protect can mean multiple different things. While it can mean protecting one another in the physical sense, I believe it goes deeper than that. I believe it means protecting the people you love in the emotional and mental sense. Protecting their walk with God. Protecting their purity if it’s a romantic relationship we’re talking about. Protection comes in many different forms and means many different things to different people. The bottom line is this: people who love each other should and will protect each other. Love always trusts You can't have love without trust. Trust is difficult to gain, but so easy to lose. For me, trust lays the foundation for love. In my personal relationships, trust always comes before love. A strong, loving relationship starts with trust. Love always hopes Love never loses hope. In impossible situations, during desperate times, even when it seems like there’s no way out, the people who love you will remain hopeful through it all. They’ll do everything they can to help you retain that same hope. Love always preservers The definition of persevere is: "Continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success." In any type of relationship where love is involved, you guys are going to push through. Even when it’s difficult. Even when one of you is ready to give up, the other will be there encouraging you to persevere. I hope this post helped to give you a better understanding of the Bible’s definition of what love is and what love should do. I also pray that it has challenged you to start loving people in the way the Bible commands, even though it isn’t always easy. Come back Friday to dissect the rest of the verse.
2 Comments
Leah
5/20/2020 10:10:38 am
With "Love rejoices with the truth," I understand it as this: When I'm not living the way I should be and one of my friends calls me out on it, it's easy to feel hurt. It's easy to believe they're judging me and being mean, but when I look at it as an action of love, I see that they're being honest and trying to get me back on track. Now, I'm always looking for areas to grow, so friends offering their honest opinion is really helpful.
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Tiana
5/20/2020 10:22:54 am
That's something I hadn't thought about before, but it makes a lot of sense. Because if you truly love someone, you'll want to help them point out their wrongdoings (in a loving manner) to help them get right with God, even if you know it'll upset them. Not out of judgmement, but out of love for the person and because you abide by truth. Thanks for that perspective!
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MissionIn short, I started this blog because I want to give girls all over the world hope. All of the topics I write about on this blog are things that I have struggled with or am still struggling with. I want to help young women everywhere achieve freedom through Christ. Archives
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