What is love? Is it a fleeting feeling or a fluctuating emotion dictated by the behavior of others? Or is it an action tucked away in kindness, patience, compassion, generosity, gratitude, forgiveness and mercy?
In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul defines love – what it is and isn’t. He writes “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous . . ..” 1 Cor 13:4 Let’s dive deeper into this verse.
Patience is a dying art, an act of etiquette most have either forgotten or have never been taught.
We see little patience in check out lines and stop lights, drive throughs and social media, with friends and family.
We witness rude behavior so much it’s become the norm. And thanks to online scrolling, jealousy is at an all time high with the ability to compare our lives to her’s right at our fingertips.
When we exhibit patience and kindness in slow moving lines, with exasperating co-workers, friends and family, that’s love.
It shows up in our gratitude for what we have while being inspired when we look over and see what “she” has or is doing instead of envying, stewing and sitting in pity.
It’s using her good fortune to motivate us to go discover our own, her excellent health to inspire us to pursue ours, her comeback to pull us out of our setback.
God gave His only son to die for us – that’s love in action that we benefit from every time we need a big dose of His mercy, forgiveness and patience.
At no other time in history can I recall where love is so needed in our world as it is now. And it starts with you and me, one action at at time.
So, today when we walk into the office, grocery store, gym or living room, how will we love today?
Sandra Hubbard
Word Wisdom
1 Cor 16:14 “Let all that you do be done in love” 1 Cor 16:14
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8
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