Reading: I Corinthians 13:1-7, 1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
As the minister for the wedding in the movie “Princess Bride” said, “Love… true love… is what has brought us here together today.” Of course, we would have to delve into the topic of love the day before Valentine’s Day. This may serve a dual purpose; get our hearts prepared to demonstrate true love and to remind some of the less organized of us that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.
About a year and a half ago, I walked into Bel-Air and amongst other things, I bought a bouquet of flowers for my wife. When I was checking out, the female cashier scanned in the flowers and said, “Uh-oh, are you in trouble?” I said, “No”. She responded, “Really? Is it an anniversary or something?” I again replied, “No”. She gave a look of surprise and said, “Wow… you’re doing it just because? I didn’t think you guys exist anymore.” I thought, “Why do we automatically think that there must be something wrong or something special to perform an act of love and appreciation. And, if it is not one of those two things, then it is unique. But, men, if you notice the Scripture above, please note, all of the actions, the duties listed are minimized and segregated away from love. In fact, there is not a single attribute of love listed in verses 4-6 that is something that you do for someone. It is an attitude with general overall traits. Often, just stopping by and picking something up, is actually easier and faster than actually living and demonstrating true love as God describes it.
Challenge: Go through each attribute of love listed in verses 4-6 and evaluate your strengths and weaknesses amongst the list. After determining your weaknesses, establish a specific plan of how you will be working on them today, and, it would be a good idea to do so tomorrow too.
END OF THE DAY REVIEW
What were your areas of weakness in verses 4-6?
How did you work on those weaknesses and how was it demonstrated?
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