Living in Love

We know that we are supposed to love each other. But sometimes we wonder what that really means, or how to know if we are loving like are supposed to.

**We don't have a song for today, because I couldn't find any good ones.

These are the first verses that come to mind when I think of love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says "Love is patient, love is kind, and not jealous, love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, hopes all things, believes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..."

I'm no love expert, but let's see if I can break this down some. We see several Fruit of the Spirit listed if we look closely: patience, kindness, joy, faithfulness, and self-control. See why people say that they all work together?

Love is patient. When you love someone, you have to be patient to show your love. Everybody messes up, and we have to show them patience for them know that we love them. I think about my siblings for this one. I have to have patience with them when they follow me, copy me, or are just getting on my nerves, even if I'm not very good at it. People also have to learn, because you are learning your whole life. We have to have patience when others are learning, especially if it's something we already know. Otherwise, we are rude and impatient to them as they learn, which can be very discouraging. My sweet grandma-at-heart, Hope Lewis, is a master at this. She learned about God's timing in our lives years before I did, and she was there for me when I had to learn it as we started to move. She was very patient and encouraging with me as I learned to trust that God would orchestrate our move, and her being there for me and support showed how much she loves me.

Love is kind. When we love people, we have to be kind. There's no way around it. Maybe we show our kindness by volunteering or donating for those who need it. Or maybe we just show kindness by, uh, being kind. It can be very hard at times, especially when being kind to people who are not kind back. Being kind can be easy to people who are already nice, and that's great, but we need to be kind to everyone, because Jesus was kind to everyone. When we are kind, we are certainly not jealous, braggy, or arrogant. We don't seek for ourselves, because that is selfish. We are kind to people we don't even know, because we don't know what kind of day they've had. A single act of kindness can make a world of difference for someone.

When I first stepped foot in the Edge, (the gathering place for teens at my previous church) I was so nervous that I felt nauseous. There were many new people, several obnoxious boys playing ping-pong, and the challenge of trying not to stand out and make new friends. But when Pastor Dylan took the time to smile, that made me feel so much more confident. I was like, "Hey, maybe there are nice people here after all." Each time he saw me come in, he would just smile and say "Hey, Alana." Those tiny acts of kindness that took about 2 seconds each caused me to feel safe in the Edge. His wife, Holly, came and sat down to talk to me the first time I went. I shyly sat in the far corner of the huge room, but she saw me and came to me. I'm much more used to conversing with adults, so this was easy for me. We just talked about animals, God, our moving to Rocky Mount, and other things that were prevalent in both of our lives. I didn't realize at the time how much of a commitment she made to make me feel welcome, because I had no idea how busy she was with getting the lessons ready and typing outlines for the students. When she had to leave, she introduced me to Grace Wilfong, my first friend who was actually my own age in Rocky Mount. Ms. Holly and Pastor Dylan both went on to be some of the most influential people in my spiritual life and best friends I have ever had, simply because they are loving and kind to everyone they meet. It's amazing what a difference kindness can make, huh?

It does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth. When a parent loves his child, he obviously does not rejoice when he does something wrong, but only when he does something right. If your child stole, lied, bullied, or something like that, then hopefully you do not take joy in that. You would take joy when he tells the truth, returns what he borrowed, and defends someone who is often bullied.

Love never fails. Genuine love is the same as true love, but I'm using the word genuine so we don't think in a romantic way. When we genuinely love someone, we are not going to give up on them. No matter the circumstances, the words passed between you guys, or the way they treat you, you will hold an unwavering devotion of care and commitment to them like the Lord does for us.

Let's love like Jesus loves, because He is the ultimate and most genuine example of love I can think of. And one last note, love is a long-term, dare I say life-long commitment. My mom chose to love me before I was even born, and she continues to love me all the time, until the end of time. She hosts the same kind of love for my dad. From the day she married him, she chose to love him no matter what happens. She continues to do so even when it is difficult, all the time, until the end of time. So, will you join me in loving like the Lord?