Love Is...

by Desi Ash

God is love. What does that mean?

            Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

God is patient and kind. God is not easily angered and doesn’t keep a record of wrongs. God always protects and God always perseveres.

-1 Corinthians 13:4-7

When I read First Corinthians and think about God that way, it is a powerful image. I think of the ways that I have screwed up and how God doesn’t hold any of those mistakes against me. I think of the times I have wanted to give up and felt alone but am reassured that God was there wrapping His loving arms around me.

This passage isn’t just about God. It should also be about us. We should be love. Another translation (the Message) puts it this way:

            Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

Are you those things? Which one really struck a chord with you just now? How can you be more loving to your children, your co-workers, and the everyday strangers you come in contact with?

Remember that when we show love to others, we are showing them God!