Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
For us, this is wedding month. Lord willing, on August 17th our older daughter Adrienne will wed her fiancé Tom. That leaves us in a whirlwind of finalizing arrangements, finishing decorations, polishing dance steps and of course making the final payments for everything. It’s a busy time with the expectation of a joyous celebration which makes the effort worthwhile. In that light, my plan for the next few posts is to focus on topics related to marriage and weddings. However, I will do my best to applicable whether one is single or married. That said, this first post of the series takes a look at love.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11
Contrary to what our culture tells us, love is not principally a feeling but rather an action. Our feelings for someone may wax and wane, but true love continues to act kindly despite feelings associated with an individual. As in all things God is our role model. God so loved that He sent His son; Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. These two truths model love for us. The Father sacrificed His only Son and Christ willingly laid down His life in the greatest acts of love…love that was not deserved or based on feelings but rather based on true love and the character of God who is the very definition of love. God having set the example calls us to love Him above all else; He then instructs us to love our families, our neighbors, those in the body of Christ, and even our enemies. He commands us to act lovingly not because we feel it but rather for the sake godliness, to promote unity, and to model Christ in our lives as a means of sharing the gospel.
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1
As I read this passage this morning, there was a note speaking to the fact that the noise described is a harsh sound. It’s not like white noise or a din, but rather a severe sound that causes one to recoil. In order to share the gospel verbally, our actions must coincide with our words otherwise the incongruity of our behavior and our words will cause the hearer to respond negatively. Consequently, we refrain from jealousy, bragging, arrogance, acting unbecomingly or selfishly; we are not easily provoked, do not count wrongs suffered, and do not rejoice in unrighteousness; but are patient and kind, rejoice in the truth, bear all things, believe all things, endure all things and love with endurance. Through our loving actions we provide a platform that allows us to effectively share the gospel with nonbelievers, encourage fellow believers, and teach our children.
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9
Not only do our actions and words need to be consistent, but our deeds must also sincere and sound. First consider the child who is forced to apologize for misbehavior. Their words may convey remorse, but their tone and body language may reveal that the words are forced rather than heartfelt. To act lovingly without sincerity is hypocrisy; therefore, sincerity is just as important as the action itself otherwise we are back to the “clanging cymbal”. The second consideration here is to cling to good or what is truthful according to God’s precepts. Love does not equal leniency or permissiveness. We love well, but hold ourselves and those we love accountable. We allow our children to suffer the consequences of bad behavior so that they learn to live well; we quietly restore the brother or sister who has sinned to save them from further or greater sin; and we lovingly push back against societal sins of apostasy, abortion, euthanasia, etc. to defend God’s truth and to encourage our culture to honor our Creator as He has commanded out of concern for their eternal standing and our ability to leave peacefully. True love is selfless, sincere, and godly.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. Romans 12:10
God has loved us with and everlasting love and has demonstrated that true love is an action which transcends feelings, wrongs suffered, and selfish tendencies. His love for us has remained constant despite our failures and sins; it is sincere. God has provided the model for sincere love and asks us to do the same for those around us and thereby become conduits of His grace and mercy. When we love well, we build healthy relationships founded upon God’s principles, make our words and actions consistent, and provide a platform to help others to come to Christ or to grow in grace. As we do this, we create blessings both in this life and the next.