4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Patience is said to be a virtue. Kindness an attribute. Humility a learned gift bestowed upon a burdened yet quiet soul. These three things are all a part of the love picture. They are so hard sometimes. We struggle to be kind to those who are unkind. Patience is something we chase when we are fed up. Humility can be easily forgotten when we are successful.  Yet these are all necessary to reflect love.

Envy is hard for all of us- we see people doing things we would like to do, having things we want to have. It brings us to the edge of coveting which is a dangerous place to live. Boasting about these things we once coveted (upon our acquiring them) is even more dangerous. These will cause a ripple effect and before you know it, you have risen high only to fall far and hit hard.

5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs

Keeping track of wrongs is exhausting and mind numbing. It is not a part of forgiveness either. It opens us up to opportunities to dishonor others selfishly, to give them a little sting of the pain they have caused us. The Holy Spirit guides us in these decisions if we allow it.  When we are aching with deep hurt we are reminded to be still. We are taught how not to treat others from our pain and experience. Once we learn from it, we can more freely let it go.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth

The world we live in has changed drastically in 20 years. We have more direct access to one another. We see news, personal experiences and natural disasters more frequently than before. We are exposed to the entire world, good and bad.

For some of us, we limit our television time. The pain of others causes us much distress and we do not celebrate in the evil surrounding us. But some cling to these reports as if they own it. In looking for the bad report of the day, we should be careful not to create a habit which supports. Knowing the current events are one concept, being overly obsessed with them another.

Rejoicing with the truth of Jesus can be a catalyst to pray for these events as they happen. Knowing the end of this earthly story can boost us to love deeply and widely. It can turn us from the depression and fear of today’s reports to the hope of an eternity without them.

 

Quietly going about our lives, putting love first in all we say and do is enough to keep us spiritually content. There is something about obedience to these specific verses which provides a way of living we may have never experienced without them.