4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.
You've probably heard parts of it read at weddings or etched on to photo frames. Most people associate it with the way love should look in a marriage. All of that is well and good but it goes way beyond that.
If you read the rest of the Chapter it relates the love concept to life and ministry, but I would say it's even bigger than that. When I think about Jesus I think about this chapter of the Bible almost more than any other.
Recently I reached a time in my life when I had to deal with people and situations that were very frustrating and God really used them to challenge my ability to love, not in my own way but in a supernatural way. One day I was praying and I realized- Well, God is love and love is patient, kind, not proud or self-seeking, doesn't keep track of screw ups, always protects, trusts, hope, persevere, and never fails. So if I'm supposed to follow God and be Christ-like then shouldn't I be all those things? Now for some of my more advanced friends this may seem like a "duh" moment but I really have never gotten this in the complete way the Lord presented it to me this year.
Where I especially failed was trust. It's hard to believe the best from the difficult people in life but I believe that Jesus never gives up on anybody so neither should we. Jesus loved and trusted people that he knew would betray him. He didn't do it with a "keep you enemies close" mentality but an "I love you and I'll keep loving you no matter what" mentality. For me that is quite a big lead to follow and it continuously challenges me.
How about you? Where is your love challenge?
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