Everyone wants to be loved. Either by your boyfriend/girlfriend, fiancee, spouse, parents or friends. What exactly does the Bible have to say about love? We know the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13 and what it says about love so let's review that right now. For those of you starting out in a new marriage you have the chance to start fresh and get it right. Start while you are engaged and keep it going . It isn't about the Hollywood love you see depicted in movies. If you set yourself using Hollywood standards as a role model , not only is a huge amount of it's content immoral, but you set yourself up for comparison and disappointments.
Love is not all the mushy movie stuff, but it is a choice at times, even when the feelings may not be there. Married love takes commitment. Too many people throw in the towel when they do not 'feel' a certain way. Love takes staying power. Love takes sacrifice and dying to self. For married couples, seek to be each others true best friend showing kindness, gentleness, and respect. Be sure to say you are sorry when you are wrong too. Keep your love foundation strong and sure so when storms come you can weather them successfully.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says "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." Really think of those verses and ask yourself if you are displaying the types of love above to those close to you in your life. The record of wrongs is an easy one to do that probably for most takes the most practice not to do. Dwelling on the past is something many people do. But if we focus too much on the past and hurts and faults then we are not complying with this Bible verse about 'keeping a record of wrongs'. Philippians 3:13 says "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."
We are supposed to forget it and move on. For some that may be extremely hard especially if you have been hurt bad. If you keep a list of hurts then you are really not showing forgiveness. Some hurts may be pretty bad and for those you need to ask the Lord's help to forgive, forget and move on.
Many verses are in the Bible about various types of love. Most people are familiar with John 3:16 which says "for God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son for whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." Ephesians 4:2 says "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love." There is the 'bears all things' also found in First Corinthians. Do not get mad so easy. Blow things off. Learn to laugh.
1 John 4:7 says "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God." If you are harboring a grudge against someone then you really are not showing the kind of love God requires of you. Some people may be in your life that are hard to show love to. Some difficult friend or someone who has hurt you. These are the ones you need to learn to 'love with the love of Jesus.". Some people can only be shown supernatural love if they are hateful or hurtful to you. But God requires us to love.
Your assignment is to continue to show God's love to those special people in your life and to try to love those who come across your path who are not so lovable as well. Through being able to do this we develop more of the character of Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord God help me to show your love to those close to me in my life and also to display Christ like love to even strangers who cross my path. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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