Love

Saturday, June 20, 2009 (6:29 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

I want to hear from You about love ~ Wow! No sooner said [tapped] than done! Turning in my Bible to 1 Corinthians 3:4-7, I came to the back of the book where the very last “Reflection on First Corinthians” is “insights about love”.

Again You affirm some of my thoughts. Love is more than an emotion. We aren’t to just stop there. This particular insight says that in these verses Paul “defined love as a commitment to act in a certain way toward others.” The section I had underlined from a previous time I heard from You on this subject goes further in encouraging loving conduct. “We may not be able to conjure up the emotions and feelings of love, but we can certainly practice the behaviors he [Paul] listed in these verses.”

Thank You for verifying and reminding me of this so early on this morning Lord. As the commentator continues, I am further challenged to change [or perhaps GROW] from my almost automatic responses of frustration and irritation by remembering “The apostle knew that when we behave in loving ways, feelings of love soon follow.” [I must keep in mind here that Your idea of ‘soon’ and my idea of it are by no means the same]

Lord, You are so good to us! Because You saw each of us long before we were ever born (Psalm 139:13-16) You knew that we would have need of knowing what love really looks like. I have to confess to You Lord, I truly believe that I pretend love far more than I practice it. Would that be a true and accurate thought?

In Paul’s detailed description, he lists “Love is very patient and kind, never jealous, or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.” Nowhere in this do I read many of my actions. No. It does NOT say, “Love tolerates others and puts up with them on occasion.”

Lord, I have this very real feeling that ‘pretending’ to be or do any of these is NOT the same as ‘practicing’ them. Help me in this Dear Lord. I want desperately to be a kind and loving person. I want to do to others as I want them to do to me. (Matthew 7:12) I don’t want to keep pretending to love. I want to truly love. As You would have me love! Deeply. Freely. Truly. Keep working in me I pray Dear Lord. I love You. Amen.

(495 words ~ 7:35 a.m.)