by Lyndell McBride
This scripture focuses not on being loved by another person, but on having love in our hearts.
May God continue to surround us with His Love. The more we understand God’s Love for us, the more love we’ll show to others.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
The love of God for His people is everlasting.
His love is what motivated Him to send Jesus to die on the cross.
The greatest evidence of the love of God is the death of Christ on the cross.
God’s greatest gift to us is His love.
He did not stop by just giving His love to us, He has also placed His love in us. Jesus said that the world would know we were His disciples by the love we have one for another (John 13:35).
In Galatians 5:22-23, Love is the first characteristic mentioned concerning the Fruit of the Spirit. Not only did He love us, but He has also caused us to love!
This scripture reminds us that we are never more like the Lord Jesus Christ than when we love the right way.
v. 4-12 Describes love and all of its characteristics. These are truths that we need to be reminded of continually.
Love is long suffering, kind, envieth not, vaunteth not itself.
It reminds us that love is long suffering. It does not retaliate. Love endures all attacks.
v.4 Love is kind. It is referred to as active goodness that goes forth in behalf of others. Genuine love is never hateful or mean, but it respects others and reaches out to them. It is being kind to people in despite of the way an individual might treat you.
v. 4 Love is not Envieth. True love is not jealous over the abilities or possessions of another. Instead of being jealous when others prosper or excel, love is pleased when they do well. Jealousy is one of the most vile of sins that we harbor in our hearts! Yet, Godly love dies not get jealous, rather it is pleased when others do well!)
v. 4 Love is not Vaunteth. It “does not make a parade.” Love does not brag! It does not draw attention to itself or to what it is doing. A person who must be the center of attention and is hurt when he is not is not walking in love!
v. 4 Love is not arrogant or proud, but it realizes that all it has and all that it is has been given to it by God. No matter how great our talents or how spectacular our gifts, everything we are is the result of divine grace.
v. 5 Love does not behave itself unseemly – Love is never rude, but it always treats others with compassion, consideration and respect! Love controls the emotions. It is not friendly one day and rude the next. Genuine love always makes Jesus look good!
v. 5 Seeketh Not Her Own – True love is never selfish and self-centered, but it is actively interested in what will profit others. It never looks at itself first, but it always considers another ahead of itself.
v. 5 Is Not Easily Provoked – True loves keeps no record of evils done to it, but it willingly endures all slights and injuries. This characteristic of love reminds us that love does not demand its own rights! It is willing to yield to the will of another. True love only responds in anger to that which angers God! All other things are handled through forgiveness – Eph. 4:26-32.
v. 5 Thinketh No Evil – (Ill. Literally, this phrase means “takes no worthless inventory”.) Two thoughts are in mind here. First, genuine love does not attribute evil motives to people. That is, every action is not seen in its most negative light. It thinks the best of others. Second, genuine love does not keep a record of evils done to it. In other words, it does not dwell what others may have done.
v. 6 Rejoiceth Not In Iniquity – Love does not rejoice in sin. Whether it is its own sins, or the son of others. Love hates sin! Love does not rejoice when another falls into sin! True love does not gossip or rejoice when another believer falls, but it hurts with the injured member!
v. 6 Rejoiceth In the Truth – While love hates all forms of evil, it loves the truth! It rejoices when truth is proclaimed and when truth wins the victory. Love is glad for the truth, even when the truth hurts.
v. 7-12 Love’s Persistence – Love’s staying power. Love is a remarkable thing that never fails!
v. 7 Beareth All Things – Love patiently endures and overlooks the faults in others. The word “beareth” literally means “to cover”. Instead of parading the failures and faults of others before all the world, love covers them over and continues to love in spite of those things!
v. 7 Believeth All Things – Love always places the best possible interpretation on everything that happens. It does not always seek the most negative answer, but it believes that good will triumph in any situation. Basically, love trusts, love believes, and love has confidence in the one loved.
v. 7 Hopeth All things – Love always expects the best possible outcome. Love refuses to accept failure. Love always holds out hope that things will work out right in the end.
Many have lost loved ones and backslidden loved ones. Love does not give up on them. Love believes the day will come when they will come to God and things will be made right. Love just does not give up!
v. 7 Endureth All Things – This is a military term and means that love does not give up the fort! It stands its ground and continues in spite of everything that can be thrown against it. It continues in spite of persecution and ill treatment. Love bears the unbearable, believes the impossible, holds on the incredible and never gives up. The word stop does not exist in the vocabulary of love!
v. 8-12 Charity Never Fail-eth – When everything else in this world has passed away. When everything that has held us such high esteem is gone. When knowledge and gifts no longer matter, love will still exist. It is the great constant throughout eternity. There are times when love may lose a battle. In that the object of one’s love may never return that love. Yet, while it may lose a battle here and there, love has already won the war. The idea here is not on success. The idea is on endurance. When other things have been removed from view, there will still be love! It does not give in, give up or give out.
Love that is real, is love that lasts!
Amen!
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