Saturday, January 3, 2015

Lord, Teach Me to Love...

As I begin a new year, Lord I feel you calling me back to 1 Corinthians 13 to remind me what true love is and how I should strive to truly love others.

“Love is patient.” What is patience? In Biblical terms, “patience is: waiting for, looking and hoping for, expecting, preserving, enduring, bearing, remaining and abiding.”[i] As I patiently waited, You brought to me a husband who is also patient and together we bear and endure the heartache of this world. We know that true love is always looking, hoping, and expecting to find the kind of love You speak about in this verse.  I hear You calling me to be more patient this year. So God please show me how to be patient in order to grow more near to the love You talk about in 1 Corinthians 13.
“Love is kind.” Kindness is one of the fruits of the spirit and Godly love changes us. “God’s nature is that of incredible loving-kindness toward all people,”[ii]  In order to be truly kind one must “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”[iii]  Kindness must be learned and practiced. “….God doesn’t except excuses for failing to show kindness.”[iv]
Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another.” So Lord how can I be kind to those who say unkind things and who treat me unkindly? “Kindness starts with caring.”[v]  Kindness calls us to self-sacrifice.  Lord teach me to be kind even to those who say unkind things to me and those who treat me unkindly. Lord help me to learn to practice kindness every day and to lay down my bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander and every form of malice.
“It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” Jealousy and envy use to consume me. I must admit sometimes it still rears its ugly head. But I have learned as I have spent time building a relationship with you, God, to be happy with what I have and to be happy for others and the gifts they have been given. There is a plaque in our house that says, “People in life who are the happiest don’t have the best of everything. They make the best of everything they have.” We live in a modest condo now but we offer hospitality to all who enter. We don’t need a lot of material things to make us happy. Lord continue to teach me to be happy with the gifts you have given me and to not be jealous causing me to try and boast about how great I am. Please continue to point out those times when I forget.
“It is not rude.” “What is rude? Webster’s Dictionary describes rude as not having or showing concern or respect for the rights and feelings of other people.” When we are not concerned or respectful of others, we say and do things that are hurtful without realizing it.  Lord help me to see when I say hurtful things that belittle and disrespect others. Lord point out to me if I act in a rude manner by disrespecting other’s things. Also, Lord help me to not let others’ rude behavior destroy the inner peace I have found in you.
“It is not self-seeking. It does not insist on its own way.”   Selfish. In this verse I think you are pointing out that showing real love can be uncomfortable for us and that it requires self-sacrifice. Lord help me to see when I try to make life all about me and how to make me the most comfortable at the cost of others.
“It is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs.” I do get angry sometimes but I’ve noticed as I’ve grown closer to You I am not as easily angered. I think now I mostly feel hurt or sorrow. But there is a time for anger like the anger Jesus felt when He walked into the temple and found people destroying it with their rude behavior and greed. But Jesus doesn’t keep track of the rude behavior but continues to show us love. Please Lord help me to be angry when it is appropriate and to forgive and move on leaving the hurt behind and continue to show love.
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.” Lord forgive me when I have evil thoughts or when I say evil things about others. Help me to seek the truth and not to listen to the gossip of others or to spread gossip.
“It always protects.” True love keeps us safe from harm or injury. It does not inflict pain by attacking with hurtful words and disrespectful actions. Lord help me to protect all those I love by shielding them from any hurtful words or disrespectful actions by me or by others.
“It always trusts.” Lord help me to never give my loved ones a reason to not trust my love for them or to know that I will always be there.  Help me to trust my loved ones, too. And Lord help me to always trust your love for me.
“It always hopes.” Lord help me to focus on the potential good in others by treating them with respect even when they don’t treat me with respect. Let me never give up hope.
“It always preservers.” Lord teach me what it means to preserver, to love despite the hurt and sorrow. Help me to never give up.
“Love never fails.” Lord teach me to love without fail. Amen.

 

 



[i][i] Jack Wellman, “7 Bible Verses about Patience with Commentary,” Christian Crier, patheos.com
[ii] Don Hooser, “The Fruit of the Spirit Kindness. From the Heart to the Helping Hand,” ucg.org.
[iii] ibid.
[iv] ibid.
[v] ibid.

No comments:

Post a Comment