Love Simply

Today I was going to write about doubt and discouragement, but somewhere between the rough draft and looking at this screen, the matter on my heart changed.So instead I am going to talk about love. The kind of love that God says we should have for others.

One of the most famous versus out of the bible is from 1 Corinthians 13.

“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. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

So often we put conditions on the love we give mostly because of our own fears and insecurities. Why? To save ourselves from pain and suffering. By putting conditions on love, we then distance ourselves from ever experiencing true, unconditional love with others, and end up with a broken heart anyway. Then we wonder why our relationships falter and fall apart. We are imperfect, and as such, the love we give can fail, if we let it.

Now read that passage again, and really dwell on what love does and does not do. It is patient and kind. It protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. It does not boast, envy, or dishonor. It is not proud or self-seeking. It rejoices with the truth. It NEVER fails.  In turn, I think we fail love. We push it aside or just let it go, not willing to take the time, effort, or passion to support its growth. Nor do we put the work in to sustain it when things really get tough. But we should, and we should rely on our Maker to carry us through those times.

Nowhere in that passage does it say that love is easy, nor does it say it’s perfect, but rather says it perseveres. Perseverance is not without hard work and diligence. It is about digging your heals in when things get tough, relying on God to carry you through, and to bring you out even stronger on the other end.   You change, you grow, and you gain understanding of the importance of love.

So, rather than dwelling on doubt and discouragement, lean on love. It’s not always warm and mushy, and it can undoubtedly be messy and difficult, but in the end, it conquers all, without fail.

Feed Yourself, Girl! On love, simply.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”