Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 (NLT)
The question I would like to ask today is ‘Do we really love those who labor amongst us in the gospel as we are instructed to love, or is it just a cliché that we use when we tell our brothers and sisters in Christ that we love them?’ It’s amazing how many Christians have animosity against each other or believe they are better than another person.
As children of God, we should strive to love each other as Christ loves the church. We do not have the ability to love as Christ loves, but we have the Holy Spirit within us to teach us how to. The greek word that is used for love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 is ‘agape’ which is God’s unconditional love for us and an unselfish love of Christians towards others.
1 Corinthians 13:4-6 gives fourteen characteristic of what Christian love should be amongst believers and we should practice these characters with others. As Christians, we should not try to get back at those who offend us or hold on to wrongs others have done. It is important for us to let go of past hurts and forgive. Forgiveness is extremely important in the lives of believers. If we hold on to un-forgiveness, God will not forgive us of our sins. The Christian walk is a process, none of us are perfect, and we are all striving towards perfection so we are to love each other with an unselfish love.
Missionary Judith A. Gilzene Moodie