Two-minute read.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 

1 Corinthians 13:8

Love never ends.

Unlike prophecies, tongues, and knowledge, love doesn’t have an ending. Once we reach heaven, we will know everything, no longer needing communication through prophecy and tongues. Basking in God’s perfect love, we’ll have all we need.

When my nephew died, a piece of my heart died with him, but not the love we shared. Almost ten years later, I still feel the warmth from our last hug on Earth. Memories of moments together still bring me joy. Knowing we will one day meet again in heaven comforts me; the love we shared hasn’t lessened; it doesn’t die.

Living a lifestyle of love has no regrets. Over Christmas, I watched “Love Actually.”  One of my favorite scenes occurs near the end when young Sam races to tell his crush he loves her. Speeding through the airport, dodging security, Sam’s romantic gesture leaves him with no regrets. A smile fills his face as he rounds the corner, and Joanna surprises him with a kiss.

They won’t know how we feel if we don’t share our love for others. Small acts of kindness convey huge messages. God sent Jesus in a manger, with no room at the inn, to show the world His love for it. 

“Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” Matthew 5:15

Love needs sharing. We can’t hide what God did for us under a basket; we must show it to the world, letting His light flow through us. Not once do I regret the things I did that showed Cody how much I loved him. Every hug, every ride to school, every movie, every trip conveyed to my nephew how much he meant to me. Our days on Earth have a limit; we shouldn’t waste any of them. Take every opportunity to shine your light to the world, one act of love at a time.

One act of love at a time, we change the world. Jesus turned the culture upside down with His love; we can do the same when we follow Him. Introducing people to the Savior introduces them to unconditional love and grace they can find nowhere else.

Love Challenge:

Tell someone you love them today. Go out of your way to ensure they know how much you care for them. Let your light shine brightly!

Two-minute read.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:7

Trusting and optimistic.

Love covers others’ faults, believes, and hopes for the best, enduring until the end. Where I always jump to the worst-case scenario, love does the opposite. When faced with a decision, a love-filled conclusion will come up with the best-case scenario, believing it true until proven false.

On a recent camping trip, Ron and I sat by the fire, watching the traffic go by. When a white muscle car with dark, tinted windows stopped, it raised my suspicions.

“They’re up to no good,” I said to Ron.

“You don’t know that,” he replied. After much debate, we concluded that the people had stopped to look at the view. Camping on a small lake, you could see the glistening water through the bare trees. Cold-weather camping, no leaves blocking the view, the car perched on top of a small hill, giving it a bird’s eye view of the lake.

However, when we heard the rumbling engine a second time, I discarded the obvious, once again sure they had impure motivations. Laughing, Ron read the vanity license plate with a girl’s name, assuring me they just wanted to look at the water.

My human nature tends to think the worst instead of the best. I must change my natural tendencies to live a loving lifestyle. On my task list, I have a reminder, “Choose to believe the best about people!” When my mind starts down negative rabbit trails, I must coach myself to change my thinking.

Love does change us. Putting love into action requires us to think the best, not the worst. When life gets tough, we persevere, hoping for better things to come, enduring the fire, and knowing love always wins. Love, a verb, demands action both mentally and physically. We must first think of a loving response before we can act on it.

God knows we can change. As our Creator, the Lord knows our human instincts, but Jesus came to show us a different way. Instead of responding out of hatred, we can respond with love. Accepting Christ into our lives gives us new life, leaving the old ways behind and adopting Jesus’s thinking. Becoming more like the Savior will help us love more and distrust less.

Love Challenge:

Choose to think the best today. Instead of conforming to the world’s view, ask God to help you see people through His lens of love.

Two-minute read.

It does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

1 Corinthians 13:6

No record keeping.

Love has no part in wrongdoing, including keeping track of it.  When offenses occur, responding with grace and not recording it helps us move forward with love.  Rejoicing with truth and positive reinforcement helps promote better behavior.

Becoming a tennis coach, I learned to emphasize positive behavior.  When a student hits the ball well, tell them.  Accentuate the good traits they did to accomplish the task.  Ignore the bad strokes and highlight the best ones.  By emphasizing the right actions, the student learns what to do because of the praise received.  They know they get the desired results when they follow the swing path, finish high, and accelerate through the shot.  Repeating the behavior reinforces the outcome.

When we focus on the wrong things, it prevents us from loving.  Ruminating on an offense only makes it grow.  Letting wrongdoings go free us from the hurt and allows us to heal.  Whether or not the person changes, we can’t control. 

“And Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Mark 10:21-22

When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him to sell everything and follow him, but the man couldn’t do that, so he went away sad.  Notice that the scripture tells us Jesus loved the young ruler.  Christ allowed the man to decide on his actions, not enabling the king. 

Jesus still loved the rich ruler, not wanting any to perish.  But love requires a choice, and like the young man, we don’t always make the right one.  Thankfully, God gives us more than one chance to do better.  Rejoicing with us when we make wise choices, allowing us to grow from our bad decisions, we become more like Christ as we consistently follow Him.

Like a student learning a tennis stroke, repetition of the proper movements leads to success.  Practicing grace, not keeping track of wrongs, but choosing to respond with love will lead to much rejoicing.  Record keeping only stunts growth, but letting go of offenses frees us to live fully.

Love   Challenge:

Get rid of the records.  Consciously choose to let go of past offenses, no longer keeping track of them.  Repeat as necessary.

Two-minute read.

It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

1 Corinthians 13:5b

Flexible attitude.

Love doesn’t require its way. Flexible and adaptable, love doesn’t get irritated or resentful. Living a lifestyle of love demands letting go of personal desires. Unconditional love means no conditions of any kind. In other words, if people don’t meet our expectations, we love them anyway.

“Let’s give each other space to be different and live in harmony,” my yoga teacher said during a recent class. Learning to love others well means we give them room to do things their way, not ours. We can point someone in the right direction, but we can’t get mad if they don’t choose to go that way.

Unfortunately, I failed many times in this aspect of love. As a spoiled brat, I insisted on my way; shame fills me when I think of my behavior in my younger years. Getting irritated when things didn’t go my way, resenting people for not doing things like I thought, I’m guilty of it all.

“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:2 MSG

Living in a world that promotes “me-first” thinking, insisting on your way fits the cultural norm. Following Jesus promotes counter-cultural behavior because you come last; loving God and others first fulfills the Great Commandment. When we begin to live like Christ, He transforms our lives from the inside out. Changing our thinking and becoming more like Jesus will help us have grace for others, not insisting on our way but adopting a flexible attitude that puts love first.

Putting love into action will cause you to become less demanding, more accepting, and appreciative of people. Love grows, multiplying as it takes root in your heart, blossoming and filling you with hope for future things. As you share unconditional affection with others, they will begin to bloom. And on and on it goes, love in motion, lighting the world for all.

Love Challenge:

Practice a flexible attitude today with people. When things don’t go as expected, exemplify grace by not demanding your way, and resist getting irritated and resentful by focusing your thoughts on God’s unconditional love for you.

Two-minute read.

It is not arrogant or rude.

1 Corinthians 13:4b-5a

Humble attitude.

Love has no arrogance or rudeness. No ego, just humility. For love to exist, one must choose it; we can’t force it upon someone. Nothing builds a community faster than unconditional love expressed to the members. More effective than any other weapon, love disarms hatred and grows unity. 

When traveling, Ron and I enjoy visiting other churches. We believe in regular church attendance, whether in or out of town.   As a result, we’ve attended churches all over the country. Most have greeters standing at the door, welcoming us into the building. Typically, people mill around in the hallway, waiting for the service to begin, catching up with friends. Usually, no one notices us once we pass the greeters. The churches that love well leave a lasting impression.

Heart Cry Christian Fellowship Church in Naples, NY, loved well. A small body of believers, they treated us as family. After greeting us at the door, the pastor’s daughter gave me a gift bag with a handmade potholder and information about their organization. During prayer time, one of the parishioners prayed for us and our tenth anniversary, the reason for the trip.

“God bless Ron and Beth’s 10th anniversary, give them many more years together, and bless their vacation.”

Tears came to my eyes when Tom, our new friend, prayed for us. Overcome with emotion, I will never forget their love and kindness. Love leaves lasting impressions; small actions leave big imprints.

As followers of Christ, we have the same calling card Jesus did: love. Wherever we go, we should leave a wake of unconditional love in our path. With practice, living a lifestyle of love becomes second nature.

“If you want a kind 16-year-old, teach a 6-year-old kindness and give them ten years to practice.” Jon Acuff[1]

Teach children how to love, and they will become loving adults. No matter the age, we can all learn how to love and become experts by practicing daily. Love requires humility. We must think of ourselves less and others more. Swelled heads and aggressive behavior leave nothing but pain behind. Humble hearts and kind actions leave an imprint on the heart that doesn’t die.

Love Challenge:

Think of someone in your life who always puts your needs above theirs. Do something special for them and thank them for always loving you.

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[1] https://www.instagram.com/jonacuff/reel/C0bpoddN9D-/

Two-minute read.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast;

1 Corinthians 13:4a

Love doesn’t strut.

Pride and I have a long history together; the daily battle never ends. The Message translation of this verse makes me smile:

“Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut,” 1 Cor. 13:4a MSG

To love, I must not give up, stop envying others, and not boast about my accomplishments. Lord, help me; I can’t do it without You.  None of us can. Persevering through the trials of life requires Jesus. Because of Christ, we have the tools to fight the battle, overcoming hatred with love.

Jesus exemplified patience in all His interactions. When Philip wanted more evidence, asking Christ to “show us the Father” as proof, Jesus answered with compassion and patience, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:8-9). Christ prayed for His enemies and taught us to do the same. Knowing our hearts, Jesus gives us space to come to Him and discover life to the fullest. Sometimes, the Lord waits long for us to look His way.

Envy takes our eyes off our blessings and places them on our fleshly desires. Developing an attitude of gratitude requires intentional thankfulness. Only one of them thanked Him when Jesus healed the 10 Lepers (Luke 17:11-19). God does things for us daily, but we take them for granted. The Creator gives us breath in our lungs, minds that can think, bodies that can move, jobs we can work, and so much more. Once you start praising God, you will discover an endless list. But focus on what you don’t have, and you’ll find discontent.

And lastly, love doesn’t strut. In other words, don’t think too highly of yourself. Don’t act superior to other people. Shamefully, I can think of times when I’ve boasted and acted better than others; it makes my heart hurt thinking about them. Thankfully, I serve a God of grace who gives me another chance each day to do better.

Love never quits, doesn’t envy or boast, marked by kindness, its an action that draws people to us.

Love Drop Challenge:

Practice patience by extending grace. Develop an attitude of gratitude by counting your blessings. Consider yourself equal to everyone you meet, not better or worse, but the same.

Two-minute read.

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3

Gain nothing.

Giving away everything you have to the less fortunate and sacrificing your life at the burning stake means nothing without love. Gaining nothing, believing, and doing anything without love makes you bankrupt.

“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott contains an infamous Christmas morning scene in the 2019 movie, as the four March sisters anxiously wait for their mother to return.[1] Marmee, coming from the less fortunate Hummel family, sits at the head of the table and shares the sad situation with them. Five children sleep in one bed to keep warm and have nothing to eat.

“My girls, will you give them your breakfast as a Christmas present,” their mother concludes.

As the camera pans around the table, the girl’s faces drop, knowing what they must do, but not overjoyed at the prospect.

“Is there where you say that father would want us to?” One of the girls asks.

Adjusting their attitudes, they pack up the meal and carry baskets full of blessings to the starving family. Approaching the tiny shack, hearing the cries of the baby from within the thin walls, their hearts soften; entering with sad faces, they move into action, sharing the food and blankets they brought. Joy fills the room as the two families intermingle.

The March women arrive home, content and happy, and find a feast waiting for them. Their rich neighbor, learning of the family’s sacrifice, sent them an even better breakfast than the one they gave away.

Love in action.

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” Prov. 11:25

Serving a God, we can’t outgive, He notices every act of love. When we refresh others, we will find refreshment. Of course, the March sisters didn’t give their breakfast away, thinking they would get one better. We mustn’t do things with ulterior motives but with hearts full of love for our fellow humankind.

Acts of love will overflow our hearts, but those with other motives will find us bankrupt.

Love Drop Challenge:

Meet needs today. When you come across someone who has a need you can meet, please do it.

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[1] https://youtu.be/32T5QHgfi30?si=5nl_6DPWWuKT0zdy

Two-minute read.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:2

Nothing without love.

Driving home his point, Paul emphasizes the importance of love. The religious leaders of the day knew the scriptures and could speak with authority, but if their words didn’t come from a place of love, they meant nothing. Even if the Pharisees knew all God’s mysteries and knowledge and had faith but not love, it meant nothing. Love binds us to God, nothing else.

The older I get, the more I realize the truth in Paul’s statement. Loving God and others makes a difference in life. Nothing else we do will impact the world as much as loving it. People remember how we make them feel more than anything else. Actions of love remain with people and can spur them on in difficult times.

When I think of my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Smith, I think of love. Her face doesn’t come to mind, but her heart does. She loved me, that I remember, just like I loved her. Fifty years later, I can still remember how she made me feel. Love does that to a person; it sticks with you long after the moments pass.

However, I don’t remember the physical things that, at the time, meant the world to me. My clothes and toys disappeared. I can’t recall what bedspread covered my bed or the window curtains. I remember that the top of the school desks opened upward, giving us a place to stash our pencils and books. None of those things exist any longer, the school having closed long ago, but the love I shared with my teacher still warms my heart.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Without Jesus, we can’t know love. Through Christ, God actively showed His love for a fallen world. Pouring unconditional love from above, the Lord created a connection with us through Jesus. Knowing God’s Son through scripture and applying His teachings to your life will transform you. As you begin to view the world through God’s lens, your heart will ache with the Lord over the brokenness of our world.

Becoming the hands and feet of Jesus means putting love into action and using the gifts and talents God gave you to serve others. For me, God gave me a desire to write. I feel the Lord’s presence when I sit at my laptop, letting the words flow to the screen. Eric Lidell, 1924 Olympic champion runner and follower of Christ, says it well:

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” Chariots of Fire[1]

Find your purpose and experience God’s pleasure. Start with loving God and others; the rest will follow.

Love Drop Challenge:

Share love with others today by making time for them. Look them in the eyes, listen to their words, put the phone down, and lift your eyes. Don’t interrupt, don’t give advice, listen, and love.

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[1] https://ericgeiger.com/2014/03/17/i-feel-gods-pleasure-when-i-blank/

2 minute read.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

 1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV

Universal language.

Love, the universal language that connects hearts around the world.  An action that also requires doing.  We show love towards others because of God, the foundation of love.  Christ showed us love when He came to Earth, dying on the cross and rising again.  God created us to receive love and share it.  Transformation begins when we realize we can do nothing to earn God’s love but, by faith, receive it through Jesus.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians details the specifics of love, a new way to live thanks to Jesus.  In heaven, we will no longer need faith or hope; only love remains, a way of life for those in Christ.  As followers of Jesus, filled with His Spirit, we should live a life of love now, using it as a lens to view the world.

“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.” 1 Cor. 13:1 MSG

The Message version of the Bible, known as a reading Bible, helps us gain a deeper understanding of today’s verse.  Living in a world of “self”-self-awareness, self-esteem, self-acceptance, self-image, and self-realization- putting God and others first before oneself goes against cultural norms.  Just like the envious, prideful, self-centered Corinthians during Paul’s time on Earth.

To love, we must do what Christ did.  Paul explains to the Corinthians nothing matters more than love.  Comparing actions done without love to a rusty gate, Paul spends the next several verses describing what Agape love looks like when lived out in our lives.  Over the next thirteen days, we’ll explore the aspects of love Christ showed us when He lived on Earth.

In Matthew, Jesus taught us to pray, “On Earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).  We do that when we live a life of love, imitating Christ.  Practicing what Jesus taught us will help us live the “more excellent way” (1 Cor. 12:31b). 

The way of love becomes a way of life when we follow Jesus daily, imitating Him.  Love in action happens when we live for the Lord and obey Him.  Love God and others, the Lord’s greatest commandment that will lead us to a lifestyle of love.

Love Challenge:

Go out of your way to show love to someone today.  Open the door for a stranger, do a chore for a family member, send a note to someone, or pay for the person’s order behind you at the drive-thru.  Find a way to share the love Christ gave you actively.

Five-minute read.

See if there is any offensive way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:24

Lead me.

David ends his psalm with one request: lead me in the way everlasting. Search my heart, remove offensive ways, and lead me on the path of righteousness. Typically, when I close my morning prayers, I utter something like:

“God, guide and direct me. Take me where You want me to go. Don’t let me miss anything You have for me. My life is Yours.”

Such relief washes over me as I relinquish control to God. Trying to run the world exhausted me. No one ever did what I wanted; heartache and disappointment my constant companion. But letting go and trusting God’s sovereignty relieves my anxiety of needing control.

“I’m the saved, not the Savior.” One phrase reminds me of my place in the world. As a fixer, I desire to make things better for people. When one of my best friends, Lynda, lost her son at the hands of a trigger-pulling robber, I wanted to take away her pain, but I couldn’t. Walking through the past five years with her has taught me much about God’s sovereignty and the sin that exists in the world. 

“Just show up,” Mike said in his message soon after his son’s death. Husband of Lynda and my pastor, I will never forget his words. Speaking to the Sunday morning crowd, Mike told us how we could help them persevere through the unspeakable tragedy that took Bryan’s life.

But I found showing up challenging. Having never processed my grief from my nephew’s passing, seeing Lynda’s grief seemed unbearable. And so, I entered into therapy to help me work through these life events that shook my world and caused me to ask, “Why God?” The Lord led me on the path of righteousness with the help of a trained Christian counselor.

“I want to live life to the fullest, and I’m not,” I responded to the therapist when she asked why I came. Our first session centered around learning to let go; she sent me home with the following poem:

LETTING GO

(Author unknown)

To “let go” does not mean to stop caring; it means I can’t do it for someone else.

To “let go” is not to cut myself off; it’s the realization I can’t control another.

To “let go” is not to enable but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To “let go” is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To “let go” is not to try to change or blame another; it’s to make the most of myself.

To “let go” is not to care for but to care about.

To “let go” is not to fix but to be supportive.

To “let go” is not to judge but to allow another to be a human being.

To “let go” is not to be in the middle arranging the outcomes but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To “let go” is not to be protective; it’s to permit another to face reality.

To “let go” is not to deny but to accept.

To “let go” it not to nag, scold or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings, and correct them.

To “let go” is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To “let go” is not to criticize and regulate anybody but to try to become what I dream I can be.

To “let go” is not to regret the past but to grow and live for the future.

To “let go” is to fear less and love more.

Application:

Fear less, love more.

Asking the Lord to lead me allows me to let go and let Him.  No longer do I try to control the world around me; instead, I enjoy it. Living in the moment helps me live life to the fullest. Accepting God’s sovereignty reminds me of my place in the world and helps me fulfill my purpose.

I’m the saved, not the Savior. As a person saved by grace, I must follow the One who saved me to continue on the path of righteousness. In His time, God will reveal our journey according to His will. In return, the Lord asks for a devoted and humble heart that will follow. In Him, we can trust.

Journaling Questions:

1. How much do you struggle with letting go of control?
2. What can you do today to let the Lord lead you?
3. In what ways does God’s sovereignty help you live life to the fullest?

Prayer:

Lord, forgive us for trying to control the world, acting as Savior instead of saved. As we move forward from David’s Psalm, let us remember the lessons You taught us. Help us embrace Your sovereignty and follow You wholeheartedly. Let us fulfill our purpose, becoming more like Christ each day, as we love You unconditionally. God bless our efforts, let Your favor reign in our lives, and let us represent You well to the world around us. All glory and honor to You.  IJNIP. Amen