1 Corinthians 13:4-7
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, 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.
I love the Bible! The fact is, we either become totally committed to the Bible and its complete message or we will find ourselves isolating our Christian faith to small parts of our lives. Alternatively we replace biblical truth with legalistic nonsense.
This short passage provides some excellent insights on how to manage interpersonal relationships. Put another way, it gives good advice on how to make life work better and function well. Here are some of the highlights from this chapter:
Firstly, we express love in conscious and deliberate ways. The advice here is to live proactively, not hoping for the best but taking the initiative. We gladly take the obligation of loving others upon ourselves.
Secondly, we learn to live with a commitment to seizing spontaneous moments. Every day becomes an adventure of how we can genuinely express unselfish love.
Finally, the last verse states that we must learn to see the best in others. In other words, life works best for Christ-followers when they approach it with constructive and optimistic hearts. What good thing can happen today?
A pastor by the name of George Crane tells of a woman who sought his advice as she was about to divorce her husband of many years. She had grown to hate him. Crane suggested an ingenious plan: "Go home and act as though you really love him. Tell him how much he means to you. Make him believe that you really love him. When you have convinced him of your undying love you can then drop the bomb and tell him you want a divorce". When she did not return for further advice the minister contacted her about her plans for divorce. Her response was: "I'll never divorce him. I have discovered that I love him too much".
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, 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.
I love the Bible! The fact is, we either become totally committed to the Bible and its complete message or we will find ourselves isolating our Christian faith to small parts of our lives. Alternatively we replace biblical truth with legalistic nonsense.
This short passage provides some excellent insights on how to manage interpersonal relationships. Put another way, it gives good advice on how to make life work better and function well. Here are some of the highlights from this chapter:
Firstly, we express love in conscious and deliberate ways. The advice here is to live proactively, not hoping for the best but taking the initiative. We gladly take the obligation of loving others upon ourselves.
Secondly, we learn to live with a commitment to seizing spontaneous moments. Every day becomes an adventure of how we can genuinely express unselfish love.
Finally, the last verse states that we must learn to see the best in others. In other words, life works best for Christ-followers when they approach it with constructive and optimistic hearts. What good thing can happen today?
A pastor by the name of George Crane tells of a woman who sought his advice as she was about to divorce her husband of many years. She had grown to hate him. Crane suggested an ingenious plan: "Go home and act as though you really love him. Tell him how much he means to you. Make him believe that you really love him. When you have convinced him of your undying love you can then drop the bomb and tell him you want a divorce". When she did not return for further advice the minister contacted her about her plans for divorce. Her response was: "I'll never divorce him. I have discovered that I love him too much".
I hope this little devotional will challenge you to keep on loving!!
Paul Alexander (Assemblies of God National Leadership Team)
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