“Love teaches me how to respond to every person, every
circumstance, every single time.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT – “4 Love is patient and kind. Love
is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not
rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never
gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every
circumstance.”
Most of us have seen these versus before. Perhaps you have seen these words listed more in
this manner:
- LOVE is patient
- LOVE is kind
- LOVE does not envy
- LOVE does not boast
- LOVE is not proud
- LOVE is not rude
- LOVE is not self-seeking
- LOVE is not easily angered
- LOVE keeps no record of wrongs
- LOVE does not delight in evil
- LOVE rejoices with the truth
- LOVE always protects
- LOVE always trusts
- LOVE always hopes
- LOVE always perseveres
- LOVE never fails
These are the 16 attributes of love. You can live your life by these versus of
God’s Word. This is the kind of person
God wants us to be. If your thoughts or
proposed actions contradict any of these 16 attributes of love, perhaps you
should change that thought or rethink that action.
“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 NLT) This verse tells us to love God with our
entirety. Memorizing and putting these
16 attributes of love to work in our lives is the first step in loving God the
way we should.
“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in
his love. God is love, and all who live
in love live in God, and God lives in them.” (1 John 4:16 NLT) God IS love.
Obeying Love is obeying God.
Love is so much more than a feeling. Love is an action. Love is a response. Love is a “response-ability.” Love is what you do when you don’t feel like
doing it.
“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know
how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our
hearts with his love.” (Romans 5:5 NLT)
Love is poured out in our heart by the Holy Spirit, so as we obey what
love is, the atmosphere around us is changed and charged with His presence.
Two “absolutes” in God’s Kingdom are FAITH and LOVE. Without faith it is impossible to please
god. “And it is impossible to please God
without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and
that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT) Obeying love activates faith. “For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus,
there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is
important is faith expressing itself in love.” (Galatians 5:6 NLT) Faith is something we don’t necessarily grow
in by trying to grow in faith, but faith is something we will always grow in
when we grow in love.
Everything God does can be traced back to faith and
everything Satan does can be traced by to fear.
“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are
afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully
experienced his perfect love.” (1 John 4:18 NLT) Obeying love casts out all fear and torment.
Love allows what we are called to be to come to the surface. Love is to be our priority and love is to be
our pursuit. The way we demonstrate love
toward God and toward others is by obeying His commandments.
“Love teaches me how to respond to every person, every
circumstance, every single time.”
I would like to give
special thanks to Roger (you know who you are) for pointing me to these verses and
providing me with teachings wrapped around them (much of which I have quoted
here). Roger, you and your wife are a
blessing and a God-send. Thank you for
all you do.
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