Let me take you for a quick review of I Corinthians 13:7, in case the last wedding you attended looks a bit far back in the rearview mirror.
This passage makes for poetic wedding material. Better, these words fit best with the Church, especially a turbulent and disunified church such as the one at Corinth.
Love bears all things,
Think of bearing a weight, or burden. Love doesn't distance from difficulty, it bears it with others. We should not view those among us as inconvenience, but as brothers and sisters, worthy of bearing life's difficulties.
Does my brother or sister have a difficulty in their life? Does Jesus crush us when we endure down times and seasons, even if we have caused them by poor choices?
Love bears all things.
believes all things,
This doesn't mean I truly believe everything the world tells me. It means I see situations as opportunities to increase my faith. Simply reading the context around chapter 13 will help you see Paul's emphasis on increasing in faith and its expression - in love. Do I believe God can use a trial? Do I believe God can use a believer I find irritating?
Love believes all things.
hopes all things,
Simply - do I look at people and hope for their best? Do I give them the benefit of the doubt? Do I view myself and others through the lens of growth, future maturity and fruit, and possibility? Or do I condemn, constrict, and judge based on current struggle or failure.
Love hopes all things.
endures all things.
The enduring nature of love speaks to commitment required. God's love for us in Jesus comes not from fleeting affection based on performance, but from a commitment to love no matter what. We are loved with an enduring love. Do we bail from situations when offended, or when we don't get what we like or want? Do we criticize without confrontation? Does our love have a short life span?
Love endures all things.
Be challenged. Be blessed. Ask God for a big capacity to love!
In Christ,
Pastor Kevin