Clearly, God desires that we love others. In our world today, the word love gets shuffled around a bit carelessly. We say we love chocolate or love to stay up late and sleep in. Love is so much more than that, especially the Biblical love God intends for his people to share with Him and others. These verses give us a glimpse of what love is and is not.
How great is it that we have such great advice about love in the Bible! It shouldn’t surprise us that much because God calls us to love him and love each other. Understanding what love is all about helps us succeed at being better lovers. We also know that God loves us unconditionally. John 3:16 says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
If you’ve been to a church wedding before, these verses may be familiar. As a couple begins their life together, this wisdom is invaluable. It’s easy to feel love for another when everything is going well, in those moments of total agreement while sharing the same life focus. But when problems arise, and no relationship is immune to struggle, having this kind of love endures.
Think about the relationships you have with your family, spouse, friends, and even your neighbors. Do you love them like this? It’s natural to want to think we excel at loving others, but Paul is setting the standard high here.
What areas of loving do you need to focus on so you can improve? Picking one at a time is more manageable. Return to this verse often to do a heart check. We are all a work in progress when it comes to loving and being loveable.
Having perfect clarity about one area of our lives is golden. What a gift we have, knowing what love is and how important it is. With all the uncertainty in our world, differing opinions and difficult situations, isn’t it refreshing to have this counsel on love. When things get hard in life, cling to verse 13 which reads, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” Our troubles are only temporary.
Let’s pray. Father, thank you for how much you love me. Help me to focus on your great example when I have a hard time loving others. You love them and so should I. May I continue to reflect on this wisdom about love and what it should or shouldn’t look like. Help me to love others like you do. May my love and devotion to you grow stronger every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
