A Life Worthy

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Love requires what my grandma used to refer to as sticktoitiveness. You might know it as tenacity, grit, determination, persistence, or just plain stubbornness. Whatever you call it, you’re going to need it, because people are icky and loving them is difficult. We all carry hard-earned baggage through this sinful, broken world, and trying to tackle and love through these issues can be like taking down a redwood with a spork–it can be done, but it’s going to take a while, and you’re going to get blisters.

Yes, I just mixed several metaphors there, but you get the picture.

Beloved, infatuation is easy; love is difficult. God has not called us to infatuation. John 3:16 does not say that God was so infatuated with the world that He gave His Son.

Nope…that took love.

Happy Monday, Beloved

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts…(1 Corinthians 13:7).

How many story/sitcom/movie plots have revolved around the idea of a jealous lover?

Too many

Sometimes the results are hilarious; sometimes they are, quite literally, a horror show. But the lack of trust is always–always–a source of problems.

The simple truth is you can’t love someone if you don’t believe them, if you’re not willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Loving someone requires making yourself vulnerable and taking the chance that you will be hurt. 

But here’s a thing about trust: 

It’s a lot easier to trust someone who is trustworthy.

I mean, that’s pretty much what the adjective trustworthy denotes. 

And I don’t think Paul is calling us to be naive, foolish, twittling creatures who believe obvious lies and trust those who have been proven themselves to be grade A masters of evil. Nor is he teaching that we should enable someone who is enslaved to sin or mental illness because we love them. I mean, if your alcoholic brother asks you for cash, but promises that it’s for shoes not booze, do you trust him and hand over the money?

No, because being a fool for love is still being a fool.

We are called throughout Scripture to be wise, and there is no wisdom in empowering someone trapped in sickness and sin to continue their downward spiral. Frankly, there’s not much love there, either.

So where does that leave us, Beloved? 

I think we need to zoom in on the intent of this passage. Paul is not focused here on their worthiness, but on our willingness.  Are you willing, Beloved? Will you choose to believe the best, as long as wisdom and good sense allow you to?

I know, it all sounds confusing. But we are talking about love, are we not?

Happy Thursday, Beloved

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6).

Love does not leave you to sin.

Some relationships make us better people. Like the “iron sharpens iron” verse (Proverbs 27:27), some people call you to think better, act better, basically be better. Just being with them draws you closer to God and seems to bring out the best in you.

Stick with those people. 

Because there are others, aren’t there? Those who, by word and example, bring you down. 

Maybe it’s  coarse joking. 

Maybe it’s encouragement to skip church. 

Maybe it’s taking a physical relationship way beyond what’s appropriate because you’re “in love.” 

Maybe it’s a friendly dare to engage in global ecoterrorism or kidnap your friend’s grandma so you can use the ransom money for a massive party at Chuck E. Cheese.

Here’s the deal, Beloved: if being with this person–whether it’s friendship or romance or family–doesn’t bring you closer to Christ, then it’s not love as God intended it.

So be careful who, and how, you love today.

Happy Tuesday

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered… (1 Corinthians 13:5)

Read all the words, Beloved.

Paul doesn’t say love doesn’t get angry–just that there is a high threshold. 

Even God gets angry, though his anger is always justified, whereas I have been known to pitch a fit over cold tater tots.

No, that was not a metaphor. I despise cold tater tots.

The quicker our anger flares, the higher the likelihood that our anger is unjustified, that we have misjudged the situation. Taking time allows us to fully understand what is happening and whether it is worth getting in a tither about. 

It also allows for mercy and grace to enter the picture, which is really never a bad thing.

I have a strategy for slowing my anger roll that is highly effective on the rare occasions that I choose to use it. I try to see the person I’m angry at as Jesus sees them–a broken, flawed, hurting soul whom God loved enough to send Jesus to die for. I recognize their need for mercy, and I acknowledge that I have in that moment the unique opportunity to be like God and extend mercy. It’s a beautiful thing,

but

it’s difficult because it requires me to take my eyes off myself and focus on the one I’m trying to love. As you may have noticed, that is not my strong suit.

Fortunately, God is far better at this love thing than I could ever be. He sees me as I am–a broken, flawed, hurting soul whom He loved enough to send Jesus to die for. He recognizes my need for mercy, and He extends it.

It is a beautiful thing.

Happy Thursday, Beloved

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude… (1 Corinthians 13:5)

My bible is in the NIV translation–the real NIV, from back in the day. But, I wondered at the use of “rude” here. It just seemed like a strange word for this list. So I checked a number of different translations, and found the vast majority also use the word “rude.” 

A notable exception is the newfangled version of the NIV, which uses the phrase, “dishonor others.”( And the UK version of the newfangled NIV, which also uses “dishonor others,” but misspells “dishonor” because they’re British.)

Anyway, I find the comparison of those two translations interesting. Being rude to someone often involves talking down to them–essentially dishonoring them. When I am rude–and I am, more often than I would care to admit–I am seeking in that moment to exert my power, to show that I am stronger, better, higher up the food chain, whatever. I may tell myself that it came from frustration, or impatience, or stress, or the fact that they provided poor service at the checkout line. I may even apologize for “snapping” at the other person, and give my list of reasons for losing control. The truth, however, is that I vent my spleen on another person because I can, and because it makes me feel better. 

At their expense

Not loving, Beloved.

So, I may have to give the nod to the newfangled translation this time–and only this time. Because when I am rude, I dishonor a person I am called by God to love. 

There is a reason we are taught to be self-controlled, Beloved. It helps us to love more efficiently by reducing the time we must spend apologizing and rebuilding what we have destroyed.

Or who

Or maybe whom

Happy Tuesday