If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 NLT
Paul didn’t tiptoe his way through the hurts and struggles of the people he led. He was part of the hurt and he had long experienced it. He also had discovered through his intimate relationship with Jesus and his commitment to live and love like Him that the answer was counterintuitive. It wasn’t powering up. It wasn’t defending rights and getting dues and payback. It was love. And not the emotion people commonly call love. It’s not something we fall into, something that overpowers us. This love is an intentional choice. It is not easy, not natural. It is sacrificial and supernatural. Paul describes it:
- Patient and kind
- Not jealous, boastful, proud, or rude
- Doesn’t insist on its own way
- Not irritable
- Doesn’t keep score
- Doesn’t rejoice at injustice and loves for truth to win
- Perseveres, never gives up
- Never loses faith – is always hopeful
- Endures no matter the situation
THAT is the solution. You know THAT kind of love is not the norm. It is transformative. But it’s supernatural and cannot be achieved by simple human effort. It is the kind of enduring love that comes from an obedient and growing relationship with Jesus. We become increasingly like Him as we know Him, and we choose to also become defined by sacrificial love. It prevents us from unnecessarily hurting others and enables us to freely forgive when we are hurt.
- Jesus, the kind of love it takes to live like You in this world is far beyond my power to conjure up. Help me humble myself so You can make me more like You. I want to be sacrificially loving and selfless.