The question is sometimes asked: what is true love? It isn’t lust. In fact it has nothing to do with the physical side of a relationship at all. I have the answer and it is right in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
“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.”
Not only does it help us see what true love is supposed to look like, it also reveals to us the type of love our Heavenly Father has for us. These words easily describe the characteristics of our God. Let these words sink in. Apply them to your own relationships. Understand that with regards to God we are not in any way, shape or form worthy of such love by our Creator. We have spent much of our lives straining at the leash rather than seeking and following His will for us. We have taken His love and forgiveness for granted. We have made His grace to be a cheap thing by the way we have lived. Yet God loves us still. His love is never changing. It is constant, just like He is. Let the words burn into your heart. This is the model for loving someone. This is the way we are to love ourselves, our spouses, our parents, our children and our brothers and sisters in the Lord. A good resolution for this new year is to seek to love others the way God loves us. Amen? rlk
