Love Is...
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies.
1 Corinthians 13 The Message
I love these verses...in all versions of the Bible, but especially this one. People sometimes get the wrong idea of love, but here it is. We tend to get caught up in the selfishness of life. We try to find someone who 'fits us'. But that isn't how God told us to love. He told us to 'care more for others than self' and 'isn't always "me first"'. Who is it that you fit TOGETHER with rather than who fits YOU? What do you have to offer the other person, rather than what does that person have to offer you? Love is having the best intentions for the other person in mind. Wanting what is genuinely best for that person with no selfish motives. It is stated so simply here...and it is! Yet so wonderfully complex!
'Love doesn't keep score of the sins of others'... Thank goodness. God loves us and therefore - doesn't keep score of our sins. So if God doesn't, then why should we?
'Love puts up with anything'. We are impatient. We can have short tempers. We are so quick to judge others. Love puts up with anything...God loves us, and therefore PUTS UP WITH ANYTHING. If you love someone - you put up with anything. anything.
Love never gives up. Love never dies.
I can't get over these verses. I just want to read them over and over and over again.
posted by Megan at 9:12 AM
5 Comments:
i love your heart... you have a great heart megan.
ps. I get to see RACH next week!!!
Is love really fitting a specific person together with you or is it making everyone fit? Is this passage about romantic love or is it about love that sacrifices?
Just a thought.
Sarah - I'm SO dang jealous!
Josh - good point. I guess I was kind of aiming the blog at both. That particular part romantically. But yes, we are called to love everyone.
Steph - interesting. I suppose it is truly impossible to love people as purely and unconditionally as God does, but I don't think we should use the idea of it being impossible as an excuse. So yes, I agree with you, DEFINITELY something to strive towards.
I think it really depends on what the sacrifice is for. What are you sacrificing... When you say agape love is sacrificial love.. sacrificinh what. I know of lots of events were you can sacrifice your wants to love another.. but is this sacrifice more then that?
TheDrake
just had to comment - Hi Ray of Sunshine. Only with God's help can we love the way we should. Also, yes we should put up with anything, but sometimes it may get to the point of being an enabler to a bad situation, habit...then after we have done all that we can, we may have to not withdraw our love, but withdraw from the person or situation-very hard to do with someone you love.
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