– I Corinthians 13:4-7; 13
Have you heard about all you can stand this past week about love? Giving someone you care about a card, some candy or flowers because you know it will make them happy is a lovely gesture, but the pressure has been pretty intense to “do it right.” Most of us know, however, how important it is to let the people you care about know how you feel, both by what you say and how you treat them. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he made it very clear and easy to understand how Christians reflect the love of God in the way they live their lives.
The whole 13th chapter of I Corinthians is so often read at weddings that to many it probably sounds like a cliché’. But take a moment and read just the verses above. They are not an over-romanticized description of human love. These simple statements define love as a way of life. In older translations of the Bible, the word charity is used in the place of love. Read these verses again and substitute the word charity for love — makes you think, doesn’t it? My own definition of charity includes kindness, caring, concern, and empathy. It comes from the heart.
Please take note, also, that nowhere in this chapter (and please read all 13 verses) does it say that living and modeling this love is easy. It doesn’t say we should be doormats, but does say living our lives with God’s love as our foundation will give us the ability to bear, believe, hope and endure. There can be no greater gift!
Your sister in Christ,
Mary Rogers