NEED SOMETHING OR SOMEONE DEPENDABLE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will
cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where
there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
(1 Corinthians 13:8)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever had this thought,
    “Is there anything or anyone I can depend on?”
Our trust in someone can be damaged by one incident. Someone
may have been trustworthy for years, but something they did or
said can cause us to lose our trust in them. When that happens,
we may ask ourselves,
    “Do I believe they really love me?”

If the answer is “Yes”, then we should remind ourselves that
whenever someone makes a mistake, it doesn’t necessarily
mean they can no longer be trusted. Why? Because we are
told in scriptures that “love never fails”. In other words, just
because another person makes a mistake, it shouldn’t equate
to a loss of trust in them, or a lack of their love for us.

Love is a two-way street; we want their forgiveness whenever
we make a mistake, so we should be willing and prepared to
forgive others when they make a mistake. Love is an affection
that bleeds through our mistakes. It is an emotion that in essence
says,
    “I may do or say some things that might unintentionally
      offend you, but that doesn’t mean I have stopped loving you”.

As long as we are in this world, we are going to be guilty of doing
or saying some things we regret. When we see the impact it had
on someone else, we wish we could erase it and have a ‘do over’.
God’s Word tells us that some things are temporal and will not
last (prophecies, tongues, knowledge), but true love will endure
through the ups and downs of life.

We can look at God to see how ‘love never fails’. No matter what
others have done to offend Him, He still loves us and wants every
one of us to join Him in Heaven for an eternity. In fact, He loves
us so much that He created a plan of salvation which included the
sacrifice of His only Son as payment for our sins.

Even the skeptics of the existence of God would have to admit that
if the crucifixion of Jesus really happened (and it did), nothing the
world has to offer could ever compare to the width and depth of His
love for mankind.

The Bible tells followers of Jesus to love in the same manner that
He loved the church. How exactly did Jesus love the church? He
loved it in spite of its faults, its mistakes, and its weaknesses. Who
is the church? It is everyone who has received salvation from God.

Love is the ‘glue’ that holds together a happy Christian home. Love
brings a sense of security into the home. It doesn’t mean the home
will be devoid of troublesome times, but it does mean that we will be
able to ‘get past’ the problems when they arise. All family members
make some mistakes, but when we know we are loved by them, we
have the capacity to forgive them. It is part of our DNA as followers
of Jesus.

Love is patient; kind; does not envy; does not boast; does not have
arrogant pride; does not dishonor others; is not self-seeking; is not
easily angered; keeps no record of wrongs; does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth; always protects; always trusts; always
hopes; and always perseveres.

When we review the characteristics of love, we can see why a home
without it can be treading on thin ice and in danger of crumbling at
some point. But love helps us to overcome the undesirable results of
its absence, such as intentionally…
Being unkind
    (saying hurtful things to others).
Being easily angered
    (flying off the handle whenever things don’t go our way).
Boasting
    (telling how things should be;
     considering ourselves as the all-knowing authority).
Showing arrogant pride
    (having an opinion that we never make mistakes ourselves).
Keeping records of wrongs
    (storing them up in our mind so we can bring them up later).
Dishonoring (disrespecting) others
    (belittling others for who they are and what they have done, or not done;
      showing a lack of forgiveness when others have made mistakes).

ACTION:
How is the ‘love meter’ in your life? How are you showing the
kind of love Jesus has for you? Are you practicing love in your
life with those in your own family, and with others outside of
your home?

Do you frequently point out the flaws of others? Are you allowing
your selfishness to overshadow your love? In other words, do you
feel you have all the answers, and everything should be done your
way, or, do you listen and consider alternatives from others?

Do you consider yourself a notch above others on most things? Do you
frequently brag to others about what you have done, what you own, or
who you know? Do you get overly upset whenever things don’t go the
way you want them to go?

Do you have trouble exercising patience and understanding? Do you
openly and publicly point out the flaws of others, and feel that you
never make mistakes? Have you learned to absorb the mistakes that
you feel others have made in their treatment of you? That’s what Jesus
did with others, didn’t He?

Remember the importance of Christian love at all times. Love is revealed
in the things we say, the things we do, and in our attitudes. Love gives us
the ability to take responsibility for our own mistakes and to be willing to
apologize for them. Love teaches us the importance of forgiveness and the
consequences of harboring bitterness toward others, which Jesus never
did, even in the harsh treatment He received.

Take an honest look at the characteristics of love and determine not only
the ones that you possess, but also the ones that are missing in your own
life. Then, pray and ask the Lord to help you in the areas where you are
weak.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, Your Son, Jesus, showed me how to love others
even when they disappoint me. While He was being crucified for me,
He showed His love by asking You, His Father, to forgive them for
what they were doing to Him. Help me to develop the same kind of
love in my own life. I want to be more like Jesus, so I want to learn
to love and forgive as He does. If I am allowing my own selfishness
and pride to control my actions, I pray that You will help me to develop
a selflessness attitude and a genuine concern for others. Help me to obey
what is said in Your Word so that I will ‘consider others ahead of myself’.
Help me to eliminate my selfish attitude and develop the characteristics
of love. I want to be more like Jesus now so others can get a glimpse of
Him through my own life and attitude. Forgive me for how I have often
disappointed You and others in the past, and guide me as I try to become
more like Your Son, Jesus.”

BLOG: utvolwoody.wordpress.com