Love

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. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV‬‬)

Love, what a truly misunderstood concept. For example, society tells us it’s a feeling we fall in and out of and even worse than that the word is used to refer to sexual relations when so often love is far from the term that should be used.

Comparatively, the Bible verses in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 definitely paint a different picture about what love is than society’s definition. These verses have been made famous because they are read at almost every church wedding, but this sadly also distorts what love is because it indirectly implies it is for couples only because of its association.

However, if we redirect our focus away from just couples, but instead to all relationships we begin to open the door to understanding the concept of love. Firstly, the thing we realize when reading these verses is that love is definitely not a feeling, but a choice. The first two attributes of patience and kindness are relatively easy to understand but definitely not easy to execute.

Another big thing that struck me about these verses is that everything that is mentioned are things that we have to do. Often, when it comes to love we put the expectations on the other person, yet in reality all the expectations are on us.

Surprisingly, when I look at all the other attributes that are listed in these verses I realize how badly I have failed at being a loving person. Thankfully, at the same time it gives me hope because there are so many I can work on. Subsequently, as I apply these attributes in my life, relationships strengthen and one person at a time I slowly begin to understand the depth of God’s love for us.

Ultimately, it’s my goal to truly ponder and to begin to apply all the attributes of love. Could you imagine the world we would live in if we all did this? After all, dare I say, it would be heaven.

By René Boecking | explorewithrene.com