Love is an Action Word

My son is a speed reader. He has to be – as the CEO of a large technology company, he has to read and review tons of documents and correspondence on a daily basis and if he wasn’t a speed reader, he’d be bogged down with more paperwork than he could handle. I’ve become a speed reader, too! And there lies the reason why I have to scold myself. I see how easily I can turn my goal of reading my Bible through in one year into cold repetition and an act of regimen instead of reading it like a love letter and intentionally looking for the meaning of God’s love words to me. My Bible is my “go to” place for finding direction on which way to go or what to do. I have so many “go-to” passages and I know so many stories I will often read them and gloss over the words or think there’s nothing new to learn or that I already know it all as it relates to that verse or this chapter.

And it may be the same for you. Yes, we hear God’s words spoken to us when we attend church or a Bible Study, but even those times we may find ourselves speed-reading through familiar words or skipping a section altogether because we “know” it so well. Oh, our enemy is a sly fox and he loves it when we “speed-read” through God’s love messages to us.

I am stirred up about how important it is for NOT speed-reading through the greatest love explanation that was ever penned. That is 1 Corinthians 13. If you’ve ever attended a wedding, I’m sure you heard somewhere in the ceremony those words spoken. If only we practiced what we heard and learned. Would you join me in reading these words as if you’re seeing them for the very first time? Please try!

<3 "Love is patient and kind; does not envy or boast;
isn’t arrogant or rude; doesn’t insist on its own way;
isn’t irritable or resentful; doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing;
rejoices with the truth; bears all things; believes all things;
hopes all things; endures all things. Love never fails."
{1 Corinthians 13:4-7} <3

Throughout the entire chapter, love is an action word, not emotion. Love is something we do, not feel. It’s a game changer. At all times — and regardless of circumstances — we’re called to love others. And not just others, we’re called to love our enemies {Matthew 5:43-48}! (Gasp!)

How can we love our teenage children when they defy and disobey us? When a friend betrays our confidence? When a co-worker undermines our decisions? When our spouse leaves our marriage and our family in shambles? How can we love then?
The only way we can love in those times is to follow THE WAY and how He loved. We don’t know if Jesus FELT love for the people who failed Him and treated Him horrifically, but we do have a glimpse into HOW He demonstrated His love — "but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” {Romans 5:8}

Maybe someone is really making it difficult for you to love them and it is hard for you to read 1 Corinthians 13 and think “Easy-peasy!” Can I ask you to try something? Please re-read 1 Corinthians 13 and practice the ways you CAN show love to the hurtful people in your life? When you don’t feel love, you can be patient and kind. You can be humble and enduring. I know it isn’t easy, but it is simple.

Who have you been withholding love from because you don’t feel love toward that person? (I can think of a few in my own life.) Thanks be to our Lord who loves us enough, not just to command us to love others but to make a way for us to love people, and in doing so, we love as He loves us.