Rejoicing, Hoping, Enduring

 

Today I will finish pondering the final verses in 1 Corinthians 13...... "love  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

I'm treading lightly here.

 Let me begin by being honest.

I'm  very much a beginning learner in the above verses.

I should be farther along than I am, but I've been a hard headed student.

I do have a heart to keep learning and moving forward in these deep truths, but I'm simply sharing what I'm learning and seeking to grow into.

I'm like a third grader entering an advanced college calculus classroom......I can read the words in the book but I cannot yet understand and apply the principles.

My love doesn't always bear, it loses hope, it doesn't always endure things, and, yes, sometimes it fails.....I actually fail more than sometimes.

Having clarified this, I do want to share what I'm still learning about love knowing I can read the words while still only learning to apply them.

I was taken aback this week by my own behavior. Someone was rude and pushy towards me on the road. I responded with a few blasts from my horn. Then my heart began a tirade of angry thoughts concerning foolish drivers on my country road and what I would like to say to them......on and on I rambled and rumbled.

Finally I found my heart crying out to the Lord......"Lord, why do I have such angry reactions within my heart toward people at times?"

The precious Holy Spirit spoke just one word to my heart......pride.

Pride becomes offended. Even over little things.

I was grieved to see such reaction in my heart.

Then I was reminded of an elderly missionary who said.....

" People sometimes put me on a pedestal and say how wonderful I am for walking with and serving Jesus for many years. But I look at my heart. When I pull back the cover of the Blood of Jesus from my heart and look within I see black and darkness. I quickly pull the Blood of Jesus back over my heart in gratitude. There's still nothing good in my flesh after years of walking with Jesus. Only His life in me is good and I still need His blood to cover my sins."

So.... once again God used a simple moment of road rage to remind me that I'm always capable of sin. My fleshly body would go it's own dark way if I gave it the lead to do so.

I'm just grateful that the Holy Spirit within me is still training me and empowering me to respond like Christ.

I haven't arrived. None of us has or ever will.

But the desire to be like Christ does exist in the heart of His children.

And this pleases our Father.

He is blessed with our desire and effort to love like He loves.

And He has sweet mercy when we sit at His feet in sorrow because we failed to let His love respond through us.

When we kneel down and say "Father, I failed to be patient and kind. I got tired in my flesh and I was provoked and spoke in anger. Please forgive me." He does forgive.

 There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. If we confess our sins He is faithful to forgive and cleanse.

When the heart aches to obey, forgiveness cleanses and heals failure.

I'm not going to break down and try to define these closing verses. They are self explanatory.

I'm going to finish this post with praise to the One Who can love the unlovely with a perfect love because He shed His blood for us.

And I'm going to praise Him that His Holy Spirit living within a frail human heart is capable of living His love through vessels of clay..... when those vessels allow Him free reign.

And I'm going to bow my heart to the One who forgives my awkward effort to be a vessel fit for use......but who always finds mercy and forgivness when I fail. 

And I'm going to keep seeking to grow more like Jesus because He is Love itself.