What’s Love got to do with it?
“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.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Although Valentine’s Day is in our rear-view, love is here to stay. There are countless songs, movie plots, poems, books, plays, and various other artforms devoted to the topic of love. It has been proven that children reared with loving, nurturing caregivers have more developed brains, are more empathetic, have higher self-esteem, and fewer behavioral and psychological problems. In the absence of love and physical touch, infants’ and children’s mortality rates skyrocket. It’s safe to say, we are created to give and receive love. It is critical to our well-being and existence. With that in mind, it’s important to understand that first, God made us for relationship with Himself, and secondarily, with others. The Bible tells us that “God is love”. It is His very nature. Everything He does is from the origin of love. We are the objects of this divine love, the recipients, and the vessels that both hold love and that love flows through. Once we are aware of and filled with the Lord’s love, we are secure in ourselves and are then able to pour out love on those around us more freely. Human love is limited. We see this in relationships where people claim they are no longer “in love” with the other person. This is because we often equate love with emotions and feelings. Instead of the butterflies and feel-good, self-serving infatuation-love, we should look to the One who designed love for what it truly is meant to be. We learn in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 that love is long-suffering. It is kind and does not envy. It never fails. Godly love does not seek its own, or parade itself, or puff itself up. Finally, it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. It is of utmost importance that we gain perspective and rightly internalize the accurate concept of love so that we can fully love God and the people He has placed in our lives. Though we will never completely grasp this kind of love until we meet Jesus face-to-face, seeking to learn more about it is a worthy endeavor that encompasses more abundant earthly living.
*Previously written February 17, 2020
Written by Jenni Zabel - Breakthrough Leadership Team Member
