“LOVE!”

 1 Corinthians 13:4-13                                          (ESV)

“4 “LOVE” is patient and kind; “LOVE” does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

5 or rude. IT DOES NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY; it is not irritable or resentful;

6 IT (LOVE) DOES NOT REJOICE AT WRONGDOING, BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH.

7 “LOVE” BEARS ALL THINGS, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 “LOVE” never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and “LOVE” abide, these three; but the greatest of these is “LOVE”.”

One of the most offensive things for me to hear is that a Believer has to accept a sinful lifestyle because we are CHRISTIANS, and GOD IS LOVE!  HE is the ONE WHO CREATED people the way they are and HE wouldn’t have made them this way if HE didn’t want them being this way?!?  Well, GOD didn’t create us to be full grown adults either!  GOD allows some of us to mature and grow up.  Some of us aren’t afforded that experience.  I recently heard about a child less than one year old that is battling cancer!  The prognosis is not good for this human.  We need to REALIZE how BLESSED we are to be where we are, but understand that we are left here to GLORIFY GOD.

When a child “rebels”, laughing at the act might actually be cute?  I’ve often laughed at a little child who hasn’t yet learned the difference between right and wrong.  But we REJOICE AT WRONGDOING, we are basically condoning behavior that is not profitable for the guilty party.  How much we “LOVE” this person might dictate how quickly corrective measures for their conduct are implemented?  Sometimes the “LOVE” (or correction) may be a bit heavy handed, but GOD is able to use even that for HIS GLORY!  

We have been BLESSED with three beautiful grandchildren so far, and we are the type of grandparents that enjoy doing what we can to ingratiate our BLESSINGS with what they want.  But we wouldn’t think of letting them drive a vehicle until they are mature enough to navigate traffic.  That would be highly irresponsible.  We “LOVE” them so much that we have to say NO to their wants at times FOR THEIR OWN BETTERMENT!  

“LOVE” is a delicate thing in that it BEARS ALL THINGS, but it also offers  guidance and correction when it is required.  Sometimes we need to let others observe the pains of their choices before offering them the guidance and correction, even though their rewards will cause pain.  “LOVE” BEARS ALL THINGS isn’t always just difficult for the one who is going through the lessons, it is hard for the ones having to BEAR ALL THINGS!  But allowing GOD’S PERFECT SON to go through the agony of the cross was more painful than anything we will ever know!  But “GOD so “LOVED” the world, that HE gave HIS only SON, that whoever believes in HIM should not perish but have eternal life”!!!  Now THAT IS “LOVE”!!!