A Heart "Tending" Toward Love

Good day sweet friends.  Some ladies and I have decided to memorize Scripture together each week. 1 Corinthians 13 will be our first passage.

 

As I read this Scripture I pondered, once again, the question of whether the love I have for people is the love described in 1 Corinthians 13.

The short answer is 'No'.....no, I don't always live out the love described in these verses.

I wish I could always love like this but the truth is only Jesus can live this love through a person and I don't always allow Jesus full control of my being.

Sometimes He puts it upon my heart to allow His love access to another person through me and I downright refuse Him.

I'm not pleased with myself at these times and I return to Him in repentance, but I wish I could always be a vessel fit for His use.

Let's look a bit into God's definition of love.

 Love suffers long and is kind.

 The Greek word for long suffering is makrothymia meaning to persevere and endure in the face of difficult and painful circumstances. It also means patient, self sacrificing love toward a person.

We extend this patience and love because we understand that God has been patient and loving with us in our times of need.

 Makrothymia love does not allow abuse, injustice or evil to take the reins, but, it expresses truth and patience in the midst of confronting wrong doing.

Kindness and mercy do not allow sin to win, but respond with firm and gentle guidance, consequences and boundaries.

Love corrects.....with patience.

Love is gentle....while applying consequences.

Love isn't mushy and soft. It's strong in mercy and kindness along with firm consequences for sin.

Loving people isn't easy.

It can get complicated as emotions within our hearts struggle between obeying God and hating the sin of people.

A story came out last week of a dear, godly family in a state near us that went through a sorrow at the hands of another.

  Family members shared that as believers their hearts were "tending toward forgiveness."

The word tend means moving toward a particular direction.....a significant thought.

My own heart was deeply touched by their words and their testimony of trust in Christ even in the midst of unimaginable sadness.

I think we can leave this first verse in 1 Corinthians right here.......as believers, we tend toward love, forgiveness, patience and kindness.

It can be a process for a believer to work out the details of living out His love towards those who do wrong, but the 'tending' to do so lives within us because the Holy Spirit lives within our hearts.

The battle, and it can be a fierce battle, to display kindness and patience, is a private work between each believer and his Savior.

May He have mercy on us as we walk this narrow path in a world that at times makes  the 1 Corinthians chapter 13 life an extreme challenge.

I'll leave it here for today.... tomorrow we'll look into love doesn't envy or brag.