May 22, 2011

 Living Kindness And Love 

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

1 Corinthians

Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  Love does not demand its own way.  Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.  It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  

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Thoughts.....

Good morning. 

In todays entire scripture of 1 Corinthians 13, we can get bogged down in the text and lose the message.  In verses 1-3, Paul says 2 times, 'but didn't love others'.  Paul says 'without love I would be no good to anybody' one time.  He also says, 'but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever'.  Those are pretty strong statements.  The message is clearly that we are to love.  The verses I used for todays scripture tell us not only what love is, but how to love....how to be kind. 

Paul reminds us of our childhood.  He says, "It's like this:  When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does.  But when I grew up, I put away childish things."  We gossip, we chit chat, we poke fun at, we ridicule, we attack, we take from, put down, and talk about people.  But we don't do for people.  Interesting, that although he reminds us of our childhood here, as adults, we perpetuate these painful actions.  Also interesting that it occurs inside the church as much as outside the church.  Christians and non-Christians alike have this religion in common.  Religion....what you believe in and practice.  Note I said 'what', not 'who'. 

If we truly believed in and practiced the ways of Jesus Christ as outlined above and in the New Testament....religiously.....we would be caring for others, not about. 

Caring about is gossip, and ridicule, and all the negatives listed above and more.  We say to others, "I care about you."  What do you care about them?  DO you care in positive ways?  Do you care, are you concerned with, whether they are well, if they are making ends meet, if they are happy, know joy, have food, clothing, are working sustainably, can care for their own, how their family is?  And will you respond by caring for them, or will you use this information to 'care' about them? 

Paul calls us to take action....love....those around us.  To him, 'love' is a positive action word.    

Love is intentionally, purposefully, embracing someone emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually. 

Have you ever held a baby bird, or a newly born puppy or kitten?  Nestled a child at birth in your arms?  A flower freshly blossomed with dew?  It takes a tender, careful, gentle touch.  It takes kindness and love.  It is how we were birthed....with kindness and love.  It is how we were beheld by God and are embraced by him still.  It is the way Jesus tried to teach us to love.  Using our hearts, not our mouths, our bad attitudes.

Have you learned how to love?  Do you get this?  Are you receiving the love of those around you?  Are you GIVING love?  Are you teaching others by example how to love?  Are you willing and ready to give up your childish ways? 

Are we all guilty?  Yes.  Can we all do better?  Yes.  Are you willing to start now?  I am.  I try everyday, but as I've mentioned before, 'try' is not an action verb, 'do' is.

Love now.  Love greatly.  Love all you can as you can.      

God sent Jesus to love us and teach us how to love by his standards.  He took him back to heaven because he loves us....still....deeply....even more, if that is possible....and will forever.  

Are we worthy?  Nope.  Receive love anyway.  And give it....the same way God and Jesus love us.

Also forgive.....it also cannot be said enough.  Forgive.  I can't recall who said "I have no yesterdays, time took them away.  I may not have tomorrow, but I have today."  Forgive and love well.

Live kindness and love.

"There are three things that will endure - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love."  1 Corinthians 13:13

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Let Us Pray

God, Jesus, please forgive me.  I have not loved you with my whole heart, I have not loved my neighbor as myself.  I am humbly sorry, and I heartily repent.  Please help those I have hurt to forgive me, and please help me to forgive those who have hurt me.  Thank you for loving me and showing me how to love....others.  Now send me forth into the world to love as you love in fullness, newness, and gladness of heart.  Lead me to those who need love most.  And please, never stop loving me.  May my heart, my life, be a wellspring of your love overflowing through me to others.  And thank you.  For loving me and trusting me to love others for and with you.  May they know this love comes from you...and me.  May I always bring you glory.  In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen.    

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